Behind the Wheel
by IcemanX
Summary: Sakaki, our quiet lover of all things cute, discovers a fascination in the world of automobiles. But not just any world, she'll be in for the ride of her life! No longer on Hiatus, for real this time! Last Chapter: 16.
1. Chapter 1:  Discovery

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Azumanga Daioh or its characters, or anything related. You know the rest.

**A few opening words:**

Our adventure begins a few weeks into their second year (Grade 11), and we'll disregard everything that happens in the actual show/manga after this point in time. I'm rewriting the history!

For this story I an going to assume that, based off Chiyo and Tomo's ages, 11 and 17, in grade 11, that everyone else's age, said from the teachers', is similar. I'll also assume that they can get their drivers license at the same age as us.

And now without further adieu...

* * *

"Sakaki-san..." 

"..."

"Sakaki-san!"

"Hmm...Oh, Chiyo-chan! I..." Sakaki awoke from her daydream. Cats were the subject, yet again. She blushed slightly.

"I'm collecting last night's assignment." Chiyo held out the pile of papers to to show her. Sakaki reached into her bag, and pulled out hers. Along with it, came a small Kitten plush toy. She quickly grabbed it up off the ground and shoved it back in the bag, hoping no one saw. For someone of her size, she was quite insecure about her love of all things cute, and it made her somewhat difficult to approach for anyone, other than a friend. She handed her paper to Chiyo.

"Here."

"Thanks!" She smiled, and headed off to Yukari's desk. Sakaki returned her gaze out the window, and began to daydream again. However, she was interrupted again, this time by Tomo, who pointed out the window in the direction of the street.

"Whoa! Check out those cars! They're moving fast!"

Sakaki looked over, and sure enough, four cars were barreling down the road at breakneck speeds. She could hear the whine of their engines, and it reminded her of a kitten purring. The cars, all Japanese tuners, sped full speed into a corner, and what followed was the sound of all their tires squealing, with white smoke trailing. To her surprise however, they had not crashed, but instead made their way around the corner, with surprising speed. As fast as they had appeared, they were gone.

"Bah, kids and their cars. I bet I could beat 'em all! Ain't that right Chiyo?" Yukari looked at Chiyo with a grin on her face, fully knowing that her car ride to the summer house had caused the small girl some serious mental harm. Chiyo looked up, eyes wide, with a far off look on her face. No doubt reliving the terrifying experience. She started whimpering.

"Aw hey, don't do that! Gah!" With that, the bell rang, and the class was over. "Ahh, thank goodness. Class dismissed..." And Yukari promptly fell asleep on her desk.

* * *

The seven girls made their way off the school grounds, towards the street where the cars had sped by. They found it easily, as it was the only street with long black streaks painted onto it by the tires. 

"Man they must've been moving! When I get some money, I'm gonna get one of those! Yeah, just you wait!" Tomo yelled, pumping her fist in the air.

"Don't count on it. Cars are expensive..." Tomo simply looked at Yomi, and uttered one word. "Baka."

In an instant, Tomo bolted down the street towards her house, yelling all the way, with Yomi right on her tail. Sakaki sighed, and bid farewell to Kagura, Kaori, and Ayumu, who took other ways home. She then turned to Chiyo and smiled. They then headed off down the road.

Some time later, they arrived at Chiyo's house, and parted ways. Alone now, Sakaki reflected on the day, but what kept coming back was the sight - and sound of the cars that raced by. She was fascinated by them, and she didn't know why. It wasn't been the fact that the sound reminded her of a kitten's purr, though that _was_ part of the case. She went home and changed out of her school clothes, and went to the park, deciding to skip out on a walk with Chiyo. Maybe, if she was lucky, the orange cat she had seen there the other day would return.

* * *

After a few hours of swinging, and simply sitting idle, Sakaki figured the cat probably wouldn't come. She glanced at the clock tower in the middle of the park, which read 7:30. She had been there for almost four hours! She stood up to leave, and was met with an odd, yet familiar sound. That of a whining car engine followed by the screeching of tires. She listened more closely, and could hear the steady bass beat of music off in the distance. Sakaki wasn't sure why, but the sound and sight of the cars intrigued her. She made up her mind and headed in the direction of the sounds. 

Sakaki walked a few blocks, and already noticed the change in surroundings. Instead of a park, surrounded by a peaceful neighborhood, she seemed to have stepped into a different world. This area wasn't the slums, though. It was a more wealthy neighborhood, but not in the sense of Chiyo's. None of the houses were overly large, but she could tell by the way they were decorated, and the cars parked out front, that the people here had no need for money. By now, the music had gotten quite loud, so much so that she could almost _feel_ the bass through the ground. She neared a corner of the street, and nearly jumped out of her skin as a pair of extravagantly painted sports cars, with multi colored lights glowing underneath, flew around the corner she was near, tires smoking and engines revving. Sakaki wasn't scared, however. She was oddly excited. Having never seen something like this up close, she didn't know what to expect.

Sakaki recovered her composure, and strode around the corner. The sight before her took her by surprise. At first all she saw was the large mass of people, and strobe lights. Most were dancing, and all were dressed in flashy clothes, the women more so. There probably wasn't a single girl there who wasn't showing some skin, unlike Sakaki, who probably stood out like an elephant in the middle of the arctic, due to the fact she was wearing a blue turtleneck and jeans. However, no one seemed to pay any attention to her. They were all busy dancing, making out with their lovers, or crowding around what she now identified as more of the loud sports cars. She made her way towards a smaller crowd, off to the side almost, in an attempt to see one, but without drawing too much attention to herself.

Sakaki approached the group of people with caution, ad edged her way into the group, trying to come into contact with as few as possible. Physical contact was unavoidable in a place as crowded as this, so she did her best. She peeked over the shoulders of one man, and took in the sight. It was a small two seated sports car, painted a metallic grey with an intricately painted black dragon on the sides. Sponsor stickers covered the car. It rested only a few inches above the ground, resting on four tires, with very thin five spooked rims. She moved her way to the back, and found the logo of the car, a Honda S2000.

Sakaki turned her head towards the largest crowd when she heard the revving of more engines, followed by many cheers from the onlookers. Pretty much everyone had left this particular car to go see the show. One man stayed behind, though, talking into his cell phone, his other hand covering his unused ear. She overheard part of his conversation, however involuntarily.

"Saki! Where the hell are you! We're - ... - I don't care where you are just - What? Jail? How - Agh! Now what am I gonna do! Dammit, you just had to go and get busted. Ahhhh... I'll stop by later and bail you out. Looks like I gotta find you a replacement." He quickly hung up and looked around. Sakaki glanced away, and looked back at the car, hoping he hadn't seen her.

"Hey, you! The tall girl!" Sakaki inhaled sharply, and turned towards him. "Yeah you! Can you drive?" She had recently gotten her license, and had passed the test with a perfect score. She nodded. "Alright then! I'm in desperate need of a driver for the next race. How would you like to take this baby for a spin?" He said, patting the rear fender of the S2000. Sakaki looked shocked. She may know how to drive, but she hadn't a clue about racing. "I...uh, I've never raced before..." she stuttered.

"That doesn't matter, as long as you don't wreck the thing. I get paid for getting the drivers, not whether they win. Oh, you ain't American are you?" Sakaki immediately blushed, and crossed her arms over her chest. She still wasn't comfortable with the size of her breasts. The man chuckled, obviously knowing what she thought he was referring to. "Naw, not that! I mean American, as in American driving! They don't know how to really race, only drag." She shook her head again. "You don't talk much, do ya?" Another shake of her head.

"Well then, come on over here, and take a look." He gestured towards the car, and Sakaki cautiously approached, unsure of what to do.

_What am I doing? I don't belong here! But why am I drawn to the cars, the sounds? It doesn't make sense... _she thought. She ignored here better judgment and stepped closer. The man, who was fully a head shorter than her, pulled the door open, and eyed her up. She fidgeted. "Heh, look like I'm gonna have to move the seat back. Alright then! Take a look. It's a thing of beauty, it is! It has a ..." he trailed off into a very detailed description of the car's engine, suspension, and everything else. She ignored it, as it only confused her. Sakaki bent over, and slid into the seat, which sat surprisingly low. She had no problem seeing over the dash though.

"Okay then, you seem to fit! Oh, you know how to drive stick, right?" Sakaki nodded. She had requested to learn on manual, as suggested by her P.E. teacher, Minamo Kurosawa. She had said it was best to learn manual incase you ever needed to drive one. Sakaki looked around the interior. It had two seats, which didn't look normal, and a lot of steel tubing running around the roof and sides. In between the seats was the shifter, the knob painted like a billiard ball. Behind the seats rested two blue gas containers, similar to those she had seen scuba divers wear. The man caught her gaze, and pointed to the red buttons on the steering wheel. "That's your Nitrous. Try to only use it in the higher gears, you could blow the engine." Sakaki wasn't sure what he meant, but nodded anyway.

Just then, she heard the whine of a pair of engines, and turned in her seat, just in time to see a pair of cars race by, one slightly in front of the other. A cheer arose from the crowd as they ran off to get a look at the victorious driver.

"Well, looks like you're up. Here's the keys, I'll guide you over to the start line." He tossed the keys to her and shut the door. Sakaki's heart began to race as she inserted the keys and turned the ignition, causing the car to rumble, and emit the low purring noise. Adrenaline began to course through her veins and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She recalled the rules for driving manual - release gas, depress clutch, shift, release clutch, and hit the gas again. Once in first, she gently tapped the gas pedal, causing the car to jump ahead quickly. She used the breaks to slow it down, and followed the man over to the line. She saw three others doing the same. She pulled up, and stopped on his signal. He approached the car again.

"Alright, once that girl drops her arms, the race is on. Follow the course - it's lined with reflectors and lights, you won't miss it - and try not to hit any of the others. The trick to a quick start is to hold the clutch in and shift into first to be ready. Rev the engine, while holding the clutch, and let it go as soon as her arms are down. Careful in this car though, it's got a lot of torque, and tends to spin the tire a bit. You're not facing the best racers, but they aren't bad. Reiko there," he pointed to the woman in the pink coupe directly to my right, "is driving a 350Z. Good speed, but you'll catch her on the turns. Tohno over there," he then pointed to the next car, a boxy looking car, probably older, "is driving an older Skyline. It's all wheel drive, so it takes corners well, but doesn't have as much speed. Lastly, we have Kenyo," he pointed out the last car, "is driving an S15. A good al round car, no notable advantages or disadvantages." Sakaki had been looking all around, taking in her surroundings, nodding without thinking. _What _am_ I doing? Why am I _enjoying_ this?_ She thought.

Just then, a tanned woman, who reminded Sakaki of Kagura, strode into the center of the street, between the two middle cars. The crowd in front of her split apart, revealing the road beneath. She could see the reflectors indicating a corner off in the distance. She looked around, and saw she had gathered quite a crowd on her side of the street. Men and women alike turned and spoke to each other, not taking their eyes off her. The man leaned in and said, "Looks like its time. Good luck. Oh, M'name's Ezaki by the way." Sakaki nodded her thanks, and returned, "Sakaki." He smiled and backed off. The scantily clad woman in the street raised her hands above her head, and Sakaki's adrenaline spiked, butterflies forming in her stomach. The other racers revved their engines, and she followed suit, following Ezaki's instructions as well. The engines whined high pitched noises, again reminding her of cats. The woman swung her arms around, and Sakaki started a mental countdown. _Three. Two. One..._

The woman's arms dropped, and Sakaki released the clutch. The loud squealing of tires marked the beginning of a night she would never forget...

* * *

**Author's notes:**

Alright! First chapter of my first fanfic! Whaddaya think? Again I'm under the assumption that Sakaki is 18 and has her license, based off Tomo's age. Read and review please! Let me know if I have something here!


	2. Chapter 2: First Time

**Disclaimer: **No, I have not gained ownership of Azumanga Daioh. At least, not yet I haven't...

**A few opening words:**

Sorry about the many spelling errors in the first chapter, those are fixed now. It was 3 am, and I didn't have a spell checking program (two computers, this one only had WordPad ). Anyway, now I do, so let's get rolling. Also, I'd like to say sorry for the cliffhanger, but I like doing that, so I won't.

* * *

Sakaki was pushed back in her seat by the car's impressive acceleration. She could hear, and feel, the rumble of the engine, and her tires spinning. She watched the crowds' faces fly by. All of a sudden, she felt the car starting to spin. She let off the gas a bit, and the tires caught themselves, and began to grip. A small grin found its way onto her face.

Sakaki looked to her right to see her competitors, shifting into second, and then third, not even missing a beat. As Ezaki had said, the 350Z had jumped ahead, though not by much. Reiko wasn't more than a foot ahead. They were all in line still. Sakaki glanced at the speedometer. It read 160km/h, and was climbing fast. She looked up, and saw a pair of reflectors in the shapes of arrow, above some orange tape, marking a left turn. She was traveling at more than 200km/h now.

Sakaki neared the corner, and let off the gas. The other racers hit the brakes to take the corner slowly. Sakaki however, wasn't expecting the corner to come up so fast. She slammed on the brakes and swerved to the right, and then back to the left. She was going around the corner, nowhere near the wall, but she noticed that the car was no longer traveling straight, rather, the rear end was sliding out. Sakaki remembered what to do in a spin, and let off the gas a bit, steering into the spin, while downshifting to 4th, and then 3rd. When she had finally straightened out the car, she was facing the direction she was meant to, and realized she was never actually spinning, just drifting, as she had heard others describe it.

Sakaki hit the gas again, and the car leapt forward, eager for more speed. She looked in the mirror, and saw the 350Z approaching fast to her right, followed by the other two not far behind. Reiko caught up, but since Sakaki was still accelerating, she ended up driving along side her. Reiko looked over at Sakaki, and laughed at the pale, surprised expression on her face. Sakaki was still shocked at how well she made it around the corner. She forced a smile, and looked back to the street. She saw a right turn, but it wasn't a right angle turn, and she could see another left right after it.

She approached the turn going full speed again, and let off the gas, applying the brakes more slowly this time. By now, Reiko had backed off to give her room to maneuver. _I'll have to thank her after. She seems nice._ Sakaki remembered what she did on the first turn, and swerved left, and back to the right, causing the tail end to begin to slide again. But then she noticed the left turn that quickly followed the right. She pulled hard on the wheel, and the car swerved to the left again, tail end whipping around. Sakaki shifted down to 2nd, and turned the wheel against the slide. As soon as she saw the exit of the turn, she hit the gas again, and sped out of the turn, Reiko right behind her. The other two cars weren't far off either.

Ahead of her was a long straightaway. She couldn't even see the next turn. The 350Z had caught up to her now, and was edging ahead to her right. Sakaki was in the middle of the road, and to her left the S15 was approaching too. She looked ahead, and noticed that it seemed to drop away. Just then, to her left, the S15 suddenly rocketed forward, accelerating at an impressive rate. She could tell something was up. Her car was nearing the redline in 6th gear. The S15 quickly passed, and she saw small blue flames coming from the tailpipes. _Was that what he meant by Nitrous?_ She looked at the wheel, and noticed the red buttons. Her thumbs hovered over them, when she saw the S15, now a few car lengths ahead, drop out of view. All Sakaki had time for was a frightened yelp, as she felt her car go airborne.

The front of the S2000tipped down, and she saw the steep hill they were heading down. The S15 sudden slammed down, and began to swerve a little side to side. Sakaki braced herself, and her S2000 hit the road as well. She heard two more crashes as the Skyline and 350Z hit the ground behind her. She saw where the road leveled out ahead, and watched as the S15 hit it and began to swerve violently, quickly losing control. It drifted off to the side and clipped the curb, causing it to careen out of control, and spin directly in front of her. Sakaki turned hard, missing the other car by mere inches. She turned back, and corrected the small spin the swerve had induced. In her mirror, she saw the 350Z sail past unharmed, followed by a loud bang accompanied by the sound of glass shattering, as the Skyline slammed head on into the S15. She winced at the fate of the two cars.

Up ahead she saw the road turn left, but it wasn't a sharp turn. She slowed a bit, and went into the turn in 5th. It turned out to be a 180-degree turn, and they were headed back in the general direction of the finish. She saw a small group of people with cameras to her right, and as she passed them, their cameras flashed, and they pumped their fists in the air. Up ahead, she saw what was probably the last section of the course. It was what looked like four consecutive hairpins up a steep slope. Drawing near it, she let off the gas, and downshifted while braking. Once in 2nd gear, she swerved right, then slid into the first turn expertly. It went by fast, and she spun the wheel the other direction, and slid into the second turn. Sakaki realized that she could just chain her drifts through all hairpins. She made it through the 3rd one, and into the 4th. She slid around the 4th turn easily, and was faced with a long straight. Off in the distance, she saw the crowd of people break into two groups, revealing the finish. She shifted into 4th, and then 5th, and noticed the 350Z beside her begin to gain speed faster than her. _No, it's not that. Reiko's car is just faster._

Thinking quickly, she remembered what happened when Kenyo had used the nitrous. She depressed both red buttons, and was slammed back into her seat. Now in 6th gear, the car shot forward with startling speed. The finish was approaching fast, and she quickly rid the 350Z of its growing lead. The car's RPM meter was in the redlines, and the engine strained to go faster. She was now level with the 350Z as the entered the crowd. Just as the nitrous ran out, her car nosed ahead of Reiko's, and passed the finish a fraction of a second before. Now realizing she was traveling at nearly 300km/h, she slammed on the brakes, and was pressed against the seatbelt. She downshifted to first and pulled the emergency brake. She wasn't sure why, really. The car suddenly spun around, and was facing the direction it came.

Sakaki realized she was holding her breath, and let it out in a large sigh of relief. Her ordeal was over, but throughout the race, she hadn't been scared. More along the lines of exhilarated, the kind of feeling you get when you go down the first hill of a roller coaster, but throughout the whole race. She let go of the steering wheel, and noticed her hands were shaking.

Sakaki looked up and saw the 350Z stopped ahead of her, its driver climbing out to join the crowd that was surging forth towards her. She was instantly surrounded by the cheering crowd. She saw Ezaki break through and pull open her door. He was beaming. He offered her his hand, which she accepted, and pulled her out of the car, and into the crowd. They gave her some room. Ezaki must've noticed the frightened look on her face, and laughed.

"What're you scared of? You won!" Sakaki looked surprised, and her heart skipped a beat. "I...won...?"

"Yeah! It was spectacular! Are you sure you've never raced before?"

Before Sakaki could answer, Reiko came into the small clearing of people, and was about to throw her hand over her shoulder, when she realized she was at least a foot shorter then Sakaki. She thrust out her hand instead, which Sakaki shook.

"Great racing! I've never seen someone drive so well! What's your name, kid?"

"Uh...Sakaki..." she stuttered.

"Sakaki huh? Well, congratulations!" Reiko smiled, and the crowd began to chant her name. "Sa-ka-ki! Sa-ka-ki!"

Reiko laughed and patted Sakaki on the shoulder. She saw Ezaki approach. He held out a roll of bills to her. "Wh...What's that?" she stammered.

"You kidding? It's your winnings of course!" He grabbed her hand, and put the money in it, closing her fingers around it. There must've been over 200,000 yen's worth of cash there! "You've earned it."

As the crowd dispersed, Reiko approached her again. "You look tired. Want a ride home?" Sakaki nodded. They walked over to Reiko's pink 350Z. It had an intricate grey design on the sides, which reminded her of the ancient Japanese art she had seen in her art courses. She climbed in toe passenger's door, and put on her seatbelt. Reiko followed suit and started the engine. She honked the horn a few times, and the crowd parted, giving them room to leave.

* * *

Some time later, Reiko slowed the car to a stop outside Sakaki's house. She climbed out, and closed the door. She leaned over to look inside. "Thanks."

"Hey, no problem. You know, you were pretty good out there. You should consider doing it again. Here-" Reiko reached into the glove compartment, and pulled out a card. She handed it to Sakaki. "That's my garage. Stop by sometime if you're interested in more racing." Sakaki smiled, and waved farewell as Reiko sped off down the street.

Sakaki unlocked the front door to her house, and climbed the stars to her room. Once inside, she glanced at the clock, which read 1:37AM. She was out later than she thought, but was too tired to bother thinking about it. With a long sigh, she flopped onto her bed, and fell asleep instantly, not bothering to change. Soon, she was met with dreams. But these were not the normal dreams she had been having, that of kittens, and the like. These dreams were filled with her memories of the sports cars, the music, and most of all, her first street race.

* * *

**Author's note: **Well there you go, chapter 2! I guess we've found out that Sakaki really _is_ a natural at everything! Next time, on Behind the Wheel: Will Sakaki take up Reiko's offer? Will her dreams of kittens and cute things ever return? Will anyone ever realize that only two racers crossed the finish line? Find out next time! 


	3. Chapter 3: Suspicions

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, my plans to **s**eize possession of Azumanga Daioh have been unsuccessful. I do still not own them.

**A few opening words:**

Wow! Look at that! Three chapters in three days! That's right ladies and gentlemen; I have enough free time during the summer to bring you a chapter a day! That, and I am told I write obscenely fast, so if you see any errors let me know politely please. And now, on with our show, err...story...

* * *

"Sakaki! Get out of bed! You'll be late for school!" 

Sakaki awoke with a start at the sound of a loud knocking on the door, followed by her father's voice again.

"Sakaki! Wake up already!"

"I'm awake!" Sakaki slowly sat up, and looked around. She began to wonder if the night before had been a dream. But then she noticed she was still wearing the same clothes as before, and on top of that, she had over 200,000 yen in her pocket! _I guess it wasn't a dream..._ She smiled, and stood up.

Walking over to her dresser, she picked up the old jewelry box she had received from a relative for Christmas one year. Sakaki didn't wear jewelry, so she opened it, and deposited the money there, for later use. Then she reached into her other pocket and drew out the card Reiko had given her. _Hakashi Automotive Experts_ was written on it, followed by a phone number, and address. She thought for a moment, and realized the garage was located down the street from Kaorin's house. She quickly changed into her school attire

As Sakaki got up to leave the room, she remembered she'd need some money for food, so grabbed a few 10,000 yen banknotes, and left.

"Sakaki, do you need any money for school?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Where were you last night anyway? None of your friends knew when I called them. I was worried."

Sakaki had to think fast, knowing her father wouldn't have approved of what she had really done. "Sorry...I was uh...working." _Smooth._

"Working? Oh! You got a job! Why didn't you tell me sooner? At any rate, stay out as late as you need to from now on, incase you need to work late."

"Um...thanks. See you later, dad."

"Have fun at your new job, Sakaki! And have a good day at school!"

"Thanks!" And with that, she was out the door, on her way to meet Chiyo as she had been lately. They walked to school together.

* * *

"Good morning, Sakaki-san!" 

"Oh...good morning. Shall we go?" Chiyo nodded, and the two were off to school. Chiyo started her usual conversation about school, cooking, and the usual. Sakaki simply listened idly, nodding, and adding a short reply every now and then. _She's always in such high spirits..._ Sakaki's thoughts once again drifted to last evenings evens. The music, the sounds, the feeling as she outraced her opponents, the-

"Sakaki-san? You sorta spaced out there for a while. Is something up?" Sakaki snapped out of her reverie and smiled down at the small girl. "No," she replied. "Lets keep walking."

Soon enough, they came to a street. As they were about to cross, Sakaki heard a familiar sound off in the distance. She grabbed Chiyo's shoulder and pulled her back onto the sidewalk. Sure enough, the rumble of sports car engines could be heard approaching from down the road. Chiyo seemed not to notice however, and tried to walk forward. Sakaki knew otherwise, and held on.

"Sakaki? What's wrong?"

"Just wait..." she responded. Then, out of the blue, they heard the squealing of tires, and a pair of cars slid around the intersection down the street, heading this way, engines revving loudly. Chiyo gasped, and Sakaki just watched. She recognized the one in the lead to be Reiko in her pink 350Z. As she whipped by, Reiko seemed to notice Sakaki as well, and smiled, waving her hand out the window as she passed by, turning to slide around another corner, the other driver hot on her tail.

Chiyo stood stock still, shocked at what she had seen. Then she spoke up, "Who was that?" she asked. "Did she know you, Sakaki?" Sakaki ignored the question. "Lets go, its safe now."

"Hai!" Chiyo skipped across the street, and Sakaki had to jog to keep up. They continued their walk to school as if nothing had happened, Chiyo singing to herself as she went.

* * *

"...Anyway, so once I got there, the line was so long I had to-" 

"HEY! Those street racers are back!"

"Goddamnit Tomo! Sit down and let me finish!" But it was too late. Everyone was already at the window, Sakaki included. Kagura, however, remained at her seat and watched the commotion, as she had the day before, though no one noticed or bothered to ask why.

"Whoa, check out the pink one!" "Look at them go!" "Awesome, they're so _fast_!"

Sakaki watched intently, and saw that, yet again, Reiko was one of them, and the one that was winning too. _She must be quite good. And I beat her._ A silly smirk found its way onto her face, and she returned to her seat, to continue staring out the window at nothing in particular, as she always did. Kagura watched her intently, curious as to her rival's sudden interest in the proceedings. _I'll have to ask her about it, sometime, _she thought.

"Oi! Back to your seats! I wasn't finished my story!"

"Its not like it matters, Yukari, we've all heard it before..." The whole class murmered an agreement as they returned to their seats.

"Thats Yukari-_sensei_ to you, Miss Takino."

"Fine then, Yukari-_sensei_, what game was it _this _time?" The class laughed, always enjoying it when Tomo egged Yukari on. They wanted to see what she would throw at Tomo next.

It happened to be a stapler.

* * *

"Ahhh damnit! I forgot my money at home!" 

"Really? I guess you don't get any food then."

"Eh, Yomi! You've got lots, how bout you give me some?"

"Like hell!"

"Come on, if you eat all that, you'll get even fatter!" Sakaki looked over from the window just in time to see Yomi deck Tomo again with an uppercut.

"Yooomiiiii! Can't I at least borrow some money?"

"I don't have any on me anyway. I make my own lunch." Sakaki reached into her pocket and drew out the five 10,000 yen banknotes, ans took two before putting the rest back. She got up and walked over to Tomo. "Here, take this," she said, handing the two bills to Tomo.

"Whoa, really? Thanks!" She took them, then bolted out the door, hoping to get to the school store in time. Yomi looked up from her food.

"You shouldn't have given her that. Serves her right for forgetting."

"It's alright. I don't need it anyway." Yomi looked surprised by this.

"You don't need it? That was 20,000 yen! Thats a lot to just give away! Did you get a job or something?"

"Um...yeah." Yomi shrugged and went back to her food. Returning to her seat, she was met by Kagura.

"Sakaki, can I borrow your notes from class? I missed part of them." Sakaki nodded, and handed over her book. Kagura gave her thanks, and headed back to her desk, leaving Sakaki to stare out the window. She opened to a random page, and was shocked at what she saw. Instead of the usual badly drawn cats in the margins, they were replaced by drawings of sports cars and the like. Kagura chuckled to herself. _Another piece falls into place._

* * *

"Oh? You're not going back right away?" School had ended a few hours ago without much else happeneing. Sakaki walked home with Chiyo as usual, and then joined her at around 5:30 for their daily walk, with Tadakichi, Chiyo's dog. 

"No. I'm...going to see a friend, somewhere else."

"Oh, well, have fun then!" Chiyo waved, and rode off in the direction of her home on her dog's back. Sakaki turned, and took the path that lead to Kaorin's home. She took out the card Reiko had given her again, and checked the address. Sakaki made her way down the street, and cautiously passed Kaorin's house, making sure she wasn't at any of the windows. That girl seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to Sakaki, always knowing when she was near. This wasn't a time when Sakaki wanted anyone following her around. She wanted to keep her new interest a secret.

A block later, and she found herself standing outside a small garage, with a sign that read _Hakashi Automotive Experts_ on the roof. Sakaki walked up, and knocked on the garage door. She heard some people talking on the other side, and it promptly opened, revealing Reiko, with a smile on her face.

"Sakaki! You finally showed up! I was beginning to think you wouldn't come! Please, come in!" Sakaki thanked her, and stepped inside. She was met with a stunning sight. along the walls of the garage were at least half a dozen cars, most without their hoods, or lifted off the ground on a jack, their wheels missing. She looked around, and didn't see Reiko's car anywhere, or anyone else for that matter. "Do you own this place?" She asked.

"Yes I do! It was my dad's, but he moved out when I turned 19, so I took over."

"Are all these cars yours?"

"Heh, yep. Won all of them in races, except my 350z, which is around back. Bought that one with my winnings. Come on, I'll show you around."

Sakaki followed Reiko throughout the building, listening intently as she described how she won each car, in races she called 'Pink Slip' races. Apparently, if you won one of those, you won the other racer's car instead of money. They arrived at another garage door that was closed, and stepped in through the open regular door beside it. Inside it was a smaller version of what they had just come from. Two cars were in here, the S2000 Sakaki had driven, and the 350z that was Reiko's. To one side of the room, there was a raised section, and Sakaki could see what looked like a makeshift apartment up there.

"Yo! Ezaki! Get up and greet our guest!" Sakaki was surprised to see the short man slide out from under the S2000. He was wearing blue cover-alls that were covered oil stains. He held out a hand, which Sakaki shook. "Well, we meet again!"

"Do you two...live here?" Reiko quickly answered her question.

"I do, but Ezaki here just works with me. He lives down the street. Anyway, are you interested in more racing? If you are, I can spot you a car, and you can use this garage as a home base! I don't normally do this, but theres something about you...I dunno... Well, what do you say? Wanna join the Hakashi Racing Team?" Sakaki heard Ezaki mutter to himself, "Huh, so its a team no is it? How come shi never asked me..." She thought about it, and made up her mind. She had finally found something she enjoyed, even though she only raced once. Her dad always told her to find something to do, and though she did have her plans set on becoming a Veterinarian, she needed something to keep her occupied when away from school. That, and Sakaki wanted to start earning her own money.

"Yes, I'd love to."

"Great! For starters, you can use that S2000 you drove the other day. It seems to suit you. Its yours until you can get a car of your own. When you do, just talk with Ezaki, and he'll turn it into a contender in no time! Oh, I almost forgot, you'll need one of these." Reiko reached into a bag she had on the floor, and drew out a rather expensive looking PDA. "It's so you can keep in touch with the racing world. Whenever theres going to be a meet, like the one last night, a message will be sent to everyone. Also, you can keep track of who you've raced, how much you've won or lost, and all sorts of other stuff. And one more thing, other than meets, there are two more ways to race. If you happen to be driving along, and see another racer on the street, flash your high-beams three times to signal a race. Pull up beside them, and between you two, discuss the conditions, and then off you go. You can also message another driver using the PDA, or more than one, and arrange a race that way. Oh, and if you ever need a place to stay, or hide out should you run into trouble with the police, just stop by here. I'll take care of you." Reiko then tossed her the keys to the S2000.

"Now, since you're a racer, you're gonna have to know about your car, so you can tune it to the way you like to drive, ergardless of the car. So, first of all..." Reiko then went into a lengthy explaination about the car's mechanics, from the engine, to the suspension, and so on. Sakaki listened intently, taking everything in.

_Well, it's too late to back out now,_ she thought to herself. _I hope no one finds out, this wouldn't be easy to explain..._

* * *

**Author's notes:** First of all, I am back to wordpad, so if you see any errors, let me know please ad I'll fix them. 

Alright, now when I started wriing this, it was gonna be done in a day, but I ended up going to the movies with a friend, which is why my opening statement is a day off. I ended up seeing Live Free or Die Hard. I have to say, it is the best movie I have seen in a very long time. You haven't lived till you've seen this movie, trust me. So much action, and so much humor. Bruce Willis FTW.

Back to the story, Sakaki will eventually be getting her own car, but I can't decide which one. If you have any suggestions, let me know in a review, or a PM. And one more thing, I do have Forza Motorsport 2, and I will eventually be painting up cars from this fanfic in the game, though I'm not too good. If anyone has the game and is good with the paint editor, let me know, and maybe I can commission some work from you (mainly the cars I write about). Anyway, untill tomorrow, ENJOY!


	4. Chapter 4: It can fly!

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Azumanga Daioh, blah blah blah...

**A few opening words:** Whats that? Yes, it is another chapter. Yay! Nothing else to say, other than: Have you seen Live Free or Die Hard yet?

* * *

"So Sakaki, I don't mean to intude, but how old are you anyway?" Ezaki had finished his work on Reiko's 350z, and now came over to help Sakaki get to know her S2000. Sakaki looked up from the engine. "17, almost 18. Why do you ask?" 

"No reason, but I just thought you should know, that you are now the youngest racer in Tokyo. You're also the first person to beat Reiko, which is why I'm surprised she's doing this for you."

"Mmm. Oh!" Sakaki's PDA buzzed, and she pulled it out of her pocket. The message read, 'Meet at trainyard, all welcome, 2200'.

"Sakaki, you get that too?" Reiko yelled down from the raised area. Sakaki yelled up a yes. "Well, I'm not going, but you should. Make a name for yourself, girl! Have fun! And take Ezaki with you, he needs to get out more."

"Aagh, Reiko! Ah whatever, lets go. Since its now your car, you can drive." Sakaki nodded, and climbed in the driver's side. Ezaki climbed in the other side, after hitting the button to open the doors. Sakaki started the engine, and drove out into the night.

* * *

Kaorin heard the loud revving of a sports car, and got up from her desk to take a look. She had been drawing again, and again, the subject was Sakaki. She watched as a small two door sportscar, grey, with a black dragon painted on the side, drove by the house. As it passed under the streetlamp, she caught a glimpse of the people inside, despite the tinted windows. There was a man in the passenger's seat, and the driver seemed to be a woman, however she was abnormally tall, with long hair... 

"Is that...Sakaki-san...?" She looked harder, but couldn't see anything else. "It couldn't be... She doesn't even have a car."

Kaorin shrugged it off, and blamed the sighting on her overactive imagination. She returned to her drawings, and started to sketch what Sakaki would look like in a sports car. Once it was finished, she looked down at her work, amazed at how well Sakai fit with the car in her drawing.

"Wow, it seems so...right." She yawned, and continued drawing.

* * *

"Take a left there. Okay, just up ahead. I see we aren't the first to arrive after all." Sakaki could see a small crowd in the distance, surrounding two other cars. She pulled up to the right of the crowd, and stepped out with Ezaki. One of the men in the group spoke up. 

"Alright, looks like we got us our last driver of the night. Its gonna be a three person race then." Before he could continue, a mean looking man stepped forward.

"Hold up a minute, who is this chick anyway? And why's she drivin' Reiko's Honda?" Another spoke up.

"Nico, didn't you hear? She's the one that beat Reiko last night?"

"Really? I highly doubt that. Look at her! She ain't a racer! She's just a pretty face," he walked slowly towards Sakaki, "who seems to be lost." He was staning right infront of her now. He looked her up and down, and chuckled. "Not bad to look at though." He turned and was about to walk away, when Sakaki answered.

"I'm not lost."

"Ah, so she has a voice? Well, seeing as your here, why don't we work out the deal then. 100,000 yen per car in the pot. Winner takes all." He looked around. The other driver nodded, and took out a roll of bills. The man, Nico, turned back to her. "What, don't have your money? Well then, we have a problem don't we?" She was about to offer a rebutal, when she felt a roll of bills pressed into her hand. She looked back, and Ezaki wispered to her. "Pay me back later, I wanna see him _lose_."

"Well then, it seems we have a race. Oh, and sweethart," Nico stepped forward, closer to Sakaki. To close. "I'll see you after the race." She felt his breath on her neck, and without thinking, brought her arm up and slapped him across the face, sending him reeling back. She had a stern expression on her face. "No. You won't." She tossed the money tothe man who was to be the 'race official', and got into her car. Ezaki came over, and leaned into the window. "Good luck," and as he turned to go, he added, "and kick his ass for me."

* * *

All three cars were lined up at a line painted in the dirt with white paint. They were on one end of the trainyard. The goal was to race to the other side (there was only one entrance and exit) to a burning trashcan, u-turn around it, and race back. A simple there and back race. Or it would be, had it not been for the fact that the trainyard was quite busy at night, creating a defacto maze of traincars. Sakaki took a look to her right and left. On her right was Nico, driving a dark red-black chameleon coloured RX-7. On her left was a man named T.L., driving a dark blue Acura NSX, with white pinstripes down the sides and hood. A look of grim concentration came across her face, and she shut out all noise, other than that of her own car. This was necessary, as Nico still felt it a good idea to try to annoy her. She rolled up the windows. Ezaki lit a firecracker - their start signal. When it went off, the race was on. Mentally, she counted down the fuse time, and held in the clutch with the gas. _Five...four...three...two...one..._

Sakaki heard the firecracker go off, and all three cars sped off into the maze of trains. Very quickly, Sakaki was met with a split. She took the middle, whereas the other took the left and right. As she sped down between the two trains, she caught glimpses of the others, in the spaces between the traincars. None had gained any advantage. Up aead, the whole trainyard widened from three tracks, to nine, and then again to eighteen. They were entering the maze.

Sakaki went in full speed, and swerved into a space to her right. She was moving through at almost 200km/h, and had to slalom in between two sets of tracks, using the gaps between the cars that weren't attached, to avoid hitting them. _Lucky the rails are imbedded in the ground,_ she thought. Soon enough, Sakaki was forced into a long corridor, with no way out to either side. She sped up, quickly reaching the car's limit at just over 300km/h. She didn't bother checking the mirror, as it was obscured by the dust and dirt kicked up by the car as it sped through the trainyard.

Then, up ahead she saw a flicked of light. _No..._ The light became solid, and was now three lights in a triangle. _Oh, no..._ The train's horn blared, and Sakaki desperately looked left and right for an exit. Her searches became more frantic as the train approached at high speed, head on. Then, t her right, she saw what would be her only opening. It was a tank car, with just enough room below for her S2000 to fit underneath. But it would be close, the train was coming fast. _I'm not going to make it! Think!_ Sakaki fratically looked around, and her eyes came to rest on the nitrous. She then remembered that Ezaki had saidthey didn't fill it yet. _Thats it, might as well..._ The train was less than a football field's length away. She hit the NOS buttons and time seemed to slow. She heard the train's brakes squeal, and she slammed on her own, pulling hard on the wheel. The nimble S2000 bolted right, under the tank car, roof scraping the bottom of the tank. The train was mere inches away. Sakaki held her breath, and exhaled explosively as the train clipped her rear bumper, sending her into a wide slide. She fought for a second, and felt a slight bump as the rear bumper was jolted loose. However, she now had the car back under control. and was in the open. She could see the burning trash can dead ahead. Nico and T.L. were nowhere to be seen. She arrived at the can, and pulled the E-brake, downshifting as well. Sakaki swung the car sideways, and around the can. Driving had become almost a second nature to her now.

As she straightened out, Sakaki saw in her mirror that T.L. and Nico had appeared out of side passages, ad were around the can, closing fast. Before they were on her, she was back in the maze, careful to avoid any paths that led to another game of chicken with a train. She slalomed left and right, and then up a ramp onto a platform. Before she had a chance to eract, she flew up anther ramp, made when that part of the roof collapsed, and was on top of concrete roof with a crash. The car vibrated violently as the undercarriage scraped the various items on the roof. She saw it was ending quickly, and swerved off the platform roof to the left. For a brief moment, the car was airborne. Had Nico looked up, he would hve seen an S2000 fly across the gap above. With a thump, Sakaki landed on top of what seemed to be a passenger train, with humps at either end of the carm right before the break inbetween cars. These gave the car enough of a jump to clear the gaps. She tried to look around, despite the violent ride, and saw that the trainyard was coming to an end. Up ahead, the train was coming to an end.

* * *

Ezaki looked on, and saw Nico merge in from the left, and T.L. from the right. _Where the hell is she? I thought Reiko said she could drive._ Before he could say anything, however, the grey S2000 soared off the top of the passenger train in the middle, and laned with a crash right on the front bumper of T.L.'s NSX. It's steering crushed, the car veered sharply to the left (or right from the driver's perspective), and collided with Nico's rear fender, sending him into a spin. His car completed a full turn before slamming the rear end into a wall, and skidding slowly to a stop. 

Sakaki's S2000 however, only faltered a small bit before she regained control. The vehicle was trailing smoke as she spun it around, and slid over the finish in revers, stopping in almost the exact spot the had started in. He jogged up to her car, and tried to say something, _anything_, that he could to congratulate her. No words came to his mouth though. Sakaki calmly stepped out of the car and leaned back onto it, visibly shaken, but with a big goofy looking grin on her face. All she could do was laugh. Ezaki joined in on her merriment.

The first to speak was Nico, who had since climbed out of his totalled RX-7, and hobbled in Sakaki's direction.

"That bitch is _crazy man! _Fuckin' _CRAZY!"_ He strode up to her, and threw a lazy punch at her head. Sakaki stepped aside, and simply let his momentum carry him to the ground. "Better luck next time," was all she had to say. She collected her prize money from the official, who was also to impressed to say anything. By now, more cars had shown up to give the others a lift home, as both other cars were totaled. Sakaki handed Ezaki's 100,000 yen as he opened the door for her. She climbed in and started the car. It gave a shudder, and then started, puffing smoke out of what was left of the exhaust. All he could do was laugh as he got in. They drove off to the garage in good spirits, and seemed to be followed by good luck, having hit no red lights on the way back. That, coupled with the fact that the car held on long enough for them to pull into the garage before it finally sputtered and die, made for a fitting end to the night.

Sakaki said her farewells to Reiko, and left, leaving the explaining to Ezaki.

* * *

The next day, before Sakaki arrived at Chiyo's house for their customary walk to school, she recieved a message on her PDA. It was from Reiko, and read 'Good race! I heard what happened! Heard you gave the little thing wings and flew! Oh, and one of the guys happened to have a video camera on him, and the video's spreading like wildfire. Good job girl, you're famous!'

* * *

**Author's notes:** Yet again, stuck with wordpad. If you see any glaring errors please let me know. And I feel you should know I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, I couldn't fit in everything I wanted. I think it's saf to say we haven't seen the last of Nico and the trainyard, if you know what I mean. 

Also, if you feel its getting a little close to an M rating, let me know. It may eventually, but its sometimes hard to rate ones own work. Let me know what you guys think so far, so I can change it if need be. Until next time, gents!


	5. Chapter 5: Scramble!

**Disclaimer: **No. Don't own it. Yet...

**A few opening words:** Um...yeah. What a race last chapter huh? Don't worry there'll be more of that to come. Unfortunately, Sakaki can't be racing 24/7, so there won't be a race every chapter. Well, here goes...

* * *

_Bzzt! Bzzt!_

Sakaki sighed, and pulled out her PDA again. _Good thing it didn't go off during Yukari-sensei's class,_ she thought. The damn thing had been going off constantly since just after English, whether by coincidence or not. Every time it was another challenge from another random racer, wanting to see just who she as and how good she was. _So this is what Reiko meant by famous. _Sakaki looked down, and saw that it wsan't nother challenge, but a short message from Reiko. It read 'Don't accept any challenges, Sakaki. The car still needs to be fixed! Oh, and heres a link to the video,' followed by a web address. Sakaki noticed Chiyo returning with their buns, and saved the message, putting the PDA back in her bag.

"They were out of pork-buns, so I got us some melon bread. Catch!" She sat down, and tossed Sakaki the bun. She snatched it out of the air.

"Thank you. When we're done, we should join the others in the library."

"Oh? What are they there for?"

"Yomi said they'd be studying for Yukari-sensei's next test."

"Ah, thats right! There's a test tomorrow!" Sakaki nodded, and finished off the last of her bun. She wiped her mouth with a napkin, and stood to leave, grabbing her bag as well. As she did, she felt the soft vibration of the PDA as it recieved another message. _If this is fame, then I've had enough already._ She opened thedoor, and followed Chiyo down to the library.

* * *

Sakaki and Chiyo arrived in the library to find Tomo, Yomi, Osaka, and Kagura all huddled around one of the computers. Sakaki's PDA had gone off three times in the short walk to the library, and luckily Chiyo hadn't noticed. 

"Play it again, Tomo!"

"Yeah, I wanna see who the driver is."

"But it didn't show us..."

"I don't care Osaka, we should be able to catch a glimpse if we look really close." Osaka chose that moment to turn around. She waved.

"Ah, Sakaki-san and Chiyo-chan are here!"

_Is she psychic?_ Sakaki thought. She joined the group, and saw what was on the screen. There, in bad quality, was her grey S2000 soaring off the traincar in the middle of the screen. She watched, as she remembered what it was like in person. The car landed on the front of the NSX, which veered off and spun out the RX-7. The cameraman tried to keep the camera steady as he ran up to see the driver. He approached from the front, and before the camera shut off, there was a glimpse of the driver's silhouette in the tinted windows. Tomo hit the pause button, and Chiyo leaned in for a closer look.

"Hey, I think i can make it out...Looks like a girl. Quite tall, with long hair...and...Gah, thats all I can see, the image is too blurred." Sakaki realized she was holding her breath, and let it out in a sigh. Kagura noticed this, and lookedup at the taller girl.

"Huh? What's up Sakaki?" Sakaki froze.

"N-nothing..."

"Pretty neat huh, I wonder who that was. I fact, she kinda looks like you..."

"No. She doesn't."

"You sure? Cause-" Sakaki cut her off mid-sentence.

"No." Before Kagura could answer, the bell rang, and they left for gym class. Kagura lagged behind the group, engrossed in her own thoughts. _Just what _are_ you hiding, Sakaki? First the interest in the racers, the drawings, and now this? What is going on..._

"Kagura, you're gonna be late if you don't hurry up!"

"I'm coming Yomi, I'm coming." _Maybe I'll find out sooner or later..._ She sighed, and jogged to catch up to the group.

* * *

"I wonder if the police are doing anything about it?" 

"Ah, you know them Osaka, they're too busy having shootouts with dangerous criminals or something."

"Tomo, geez... There aren't dangerous criminals roaming our streets by the dozen you know. Besides, I saw a documentary on street racing the other night, from the police's perspective of course. It said they _are_ going after them, its just that moer often than not they run, and having a high speed chase in downtown Tokyo is too dangerous."

"Yomi, why you always gotta ruin my fun? Still though, it looks pretty neat. What do you think, Sakaki?" Sakaki turned to Tomo. She spoke up for the first time on their way home.

"Looks dangerous."

"Man, you guys are all chicken. When I join Interpol, I'll be chasin' these guys down one by one!" Yomi chuckled, and muttered to herself as they turned to take their own road.

"Heh, if you graduate tht is..."

"What was that, Yomi?"

Sakaki could hear their arguing for a long time after they sperated. _Man they're loud. _She turned and headed through the park, on her way to Reiko's garage, not bothering to stop by her home on the way this time. She had stuffed a change of clothes into her bag before school. However, as Sakaki passed a certain alleyway, she noticed a small grey cat sitting on the wall, eyeing her cautiously. _It's that cat again. _

Sakaki slowly approached it, and cautiously reached towards it, intent on petting it. As her hand drew nearer, it appeared as though the cat would let her touch it this time. _Almost..._ Then, in the blink of an eye, it was firmly attached to her hand, teeth drawing blood. She gasped, and swung her arm around, trying to dislodge the thing.

In fact, the cat was so intent on eating her hand, Sakaki had to use her other hand and pry it's jaws open, after which it scampered happily back into the alley, pleased with today's events. Sakaki looked down at her hand, which was now bleeding profusely. _That was worse than usual._ She bent down, and pulled out a roll of gauss and bandaged up her hand. After the first few times, she had thought it a good idea to carry around bandages. It turned out to be a great idea. She sighed, and looked down at her bandaged hand. She could see some blood soaking into the bandages.

Sakaki sighed, and continued on her way.

* * *

"Yo Reiko, Sakaki's here!" 

"'Kay! I'll be right down!" Sakaki heard a loud crash of plates, followed by some choice cursing from Reiko, before she appeared downstairs.

"Well, if it isn't the famous Sakaki! Man, when I said make a name for yourself, you really took it seriously, didn't you?" Sakaki didn't know what to say. She just smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Anyway, Ezaki's got the vital parts of the car done, and now he's just touchin' up the paintjob on the roof. Since the front and rear bumpers are only a single color, they've been left for last."

"I'll do those."

"You will? Great. Yo Ezaki, get this girl a wrench!" Before long, she was on her back on a small wheeled pad, similar to a skateboard, under the car attaching the front and rear bumpers. Once finished, she rolled out from under the car and dtood up. She noticed Ezaki had put a wing on the rear of the car. She looked at it questioningly. Ezaki caught her gaze.

"Oh that? It'll help keep the tires from spinning. By the way, whats with the clothes?" Sakaki just realized she was still in her school uniform, and blushed. She fled to the bathroom and changed. When she returned, Reiko was sitting in the passenger's side seat, working on something in the dash. She saw Sakaki and motioned for her to get in the driver's side. She pointed to the small LCD display she had just attached.

"This is your new SMS messenging system. It has a touchscreen display, a camera and microphone, GPS, and everything your PDA has. It's something we've added into the racing community. It'll allow you to set up races on the spot easier, and contact others faster. With the camera and mic, you can have live conversations too." Sakaki was impressed. She touched the screen, and it came to life. A soft voice greeted her.

"_Welcome, Sakaki."_ Reiko laughed.

"And it talks." She added.

* * *

The next few hours consisted of the three of them lounging around, either playing cards, tinkering with the cars, or just reading magazines. Sakaki's PDA had gone off several times with requests from low key members of the community. Reiko said to avoid those. "No point in wasting your time racing some newbie," she had said. Then, an interesting message came up. 'Scramble at the mega-mall parking garage, 2000.' This was followed by directions. Reiko spoke up from the couch. Sakaki had thought she was sleeping. 

"A scramble eh? Haven't been to one of those in a while."

"What's a scramble?" Sakaki queried.

"It's a large meeting of racers, usually at a place like a parking garage. Somewhere enclosed. They conduct races there, and usually consist of eight or more racers. Its quite fun. Dangerous with all the cars, and the fact that there isn't much room to maneuver, but it's fun. I think we should go. Usually, a lot of big names show up, and the pot can grow rather large. If you won one, you'd be able to buy yourself a car of your own. Come on, I'll race ya there. Ezaki, you stay here and keep the place in check! Oh, Sakaki, did you bring money?" Sakaki nodded. She had taken 100,000 yen from her jewelry box, just incase a race came up. She and Reiko ran downstairs and jumped in their cars. Sakaki started up the SMS system, and accessed the GPS. In an instant, a map came up with directions to the Scramble's location. Ezaki opened the garage doors, and Reiko's face appeared in one corner of the display.

"Catch me if you can!" She said, and screamed out of the garage, Sakaki hot on her tail.

* * *

**Author's notes:** Bit of a shorter chapter this time. Next one'll be longer, I promise. If you don't get what I mean by a Scramble, think of the drift racing in theparking garage from the movie Tokyo Drift, but with 8 or more racers. If you haven't seen the movie, well, you'll find out next chapter. Also, same rule as before applies, and errors, let me know! 'Till next time, folks! 


	6. Chapter 6: Pedestrians

**Disclaimer: **I really don't get why I do this all the time, I don't own Azumanga Daioh or anything. However, I do own this story, and if you steal it or any part of it, my Invisible Ninjas will hunt you down and kill you. Slowly, and very painfully. Thats if you're lucky. They seem to like maiming you for life (repeatedly, over a few years). Watch out, they're watching you even now...

**A few opening words:** First of all, if anyone doesn't understand anything I describe or mention in any chapter, let me know! I don't want my readers left in the dark! Also, if you like my writing, even if not, leave a review! I love reading up on what people think of my work, and will strive to improve if the general consensus thinks I should. Anyway, on to the story...

* * *

The two cars sped through the suburbs of Tokyo, weaving their way through residential roads, almost as if they were dancing. Luckily for them there was little traffic out this late. Or anyone for that matter, save for one person. 

It had been a long day for Kagura, what with the swim team practice, and the compounding mystery of Sakaki. Because of this, despite how tired she was, she was unable to sleep. Doing what she normally did in this situation, Kagura went for a run, both to relax, and to reflect on the day's dealings.

"Geez, what a day..." She turned a corner on to a peacful looking street, and ran along the left sidewalk. As she neared the next street corner, she heard the sound of a pair of high revving engines. "Huh? More street racers?" _They're close, I wonder where they are. _Kagura shrugged off the thought and started crossing the street, not noticing the headlights coming down the street ahead of her.

* * *

Sakaki was currently ahead of Reiko, in their firendly race to the Scramble. There was only another 2 kilometers left to go. The GPS voice came on again, alerting her to take the next right turn. She could see it up ahead, and slowed slightly as she turned into it. What she saw directly infront of her knocked the breath out of her. There was Kagura, out on one of her night runs, standing terrified like a deer caught in headlights in the middle of the road. Sakaki turned hard, and her right side clipped the curb, tipping the car onto the left side. Time slowed as she held the steering wheel to the right, lifting the car up on the left wheels even more. 

Sakaki lost sight of Kagura as she ducked out of the way.

* * *

Reiko, having been slightly behind Sakaki, saw the whole event unfold in the blink of an eye. She slowed down to watch. Sakaki hit the curb, sending her car up on two wheels. Instead of turning the other way to bring them back down, she held the turn and the car lifted its right side even more, almost flipping the car. The girl who had been jogging had ducked, and covered her head as the grey S2000's right side soared less than an inch above her head. 

It was over before it began. Sakaki, having avoided the girl, turned hard to the left, brining the car's right side down in a shower of sparks, causing her to partially lose control. She recovered though, and kept going. Reiko completed her turn, and waved back at the girl who was now sitting on the curb, watching them go.

* * *

Sakaki braced herself as the right side of her car came slamming down. The car began to swerve, but she corrected. She looked over her shoulder, and saw Kagura standing now sitting on the curb, clutching her chest, obviously trying to catcher breath after the terrifying ordeal. _Thank god she's alright._ Sakaki let out her breath, which she had been holding the whole time. Relieved, she gunned the engine and roared down the street, intent on reaching her destination before herrival.

* * *

Kagura sat on the curb for some time after the racers had left. She was still shaken, and still breathing heavily. _God...Could this day get any wierder? _ What she hadn't noticed though, was that the very car thet nearly ran her over, was the one that she had seen in the video on the internet. And, had she looked up in time, she would have seen that the tall girl with long hair who drove it was, in fact, Sakaki. She stood to leave, but heard a faint meow from behind her. She turned around to face the same grey cat that always bit Sakaki. 

The cat looked her up and down, and then bared its sharp teeth. Kagura could've sworn it was smiling. In a flash it dove at her, and headbutted her in the stomach. She keeled over, clutching her middle.

"What...the hell?" She gasped, between breaths. The cat approached her again, and she held up her hand to defend against another attack. This was entirely the wrong thing to do.

Seeing its opportunity, the grey cat jumped up, jaws open wide, and clamped down firmly on Kagura's outstrechde hand. Kagura let out a loud yelp.

"My GOD!" She waved her hand frantically, trying to dislodge the cat, but to no avail. Finally, she got ahold of it in her other hand, and forced it off. Then, with a running start, she threw the cat with all her might over the wall and into the neighborhood.

Kagua stood on the sidewalk panting, and looked down at her hand. She let out another loud scream. Her hand was now bleeding freely from where the cat bit her, blood dripping onto the ground. She regained her composure, and ripped part of her sleeve off, and tied it around her hand tightly, stopping the bleeding.

"What the hell is _with _that cat? How does Sakaki still have a _hand _after being bitten so many times?" She sighed, and began her treck home. From that night forth, she vowed never to mock Sakaki about her dealings with the devil-cat. Now that she had experienced it first hand, she admired the taller girl for having put up with it and still trying to pet the thing. _To hell with it. Next time I see that damn cat, _she thought, clenching her fist,_ I'm gonna beat the living shit out of it._

* * *

"Sakaki! Looks like I win!" Sakaki sighed, and looked down at the LCD display. Ironically, she drove right by the garage because she was paying too much attention to the road. "Alright, get in here. And keep your speed down! There's a lot of people here. And you might wanna keep the windows rolled up, too. You're like and idol now." Sakaki was surprised by this. She had been a racer for less than a week, and had been in only two races. 

"I'm an idol? I've won two races!"

"Yeah, but in those two races you've beaten two of the best racers in the neighborhood. Not to mention you've taught that S2000 to fly."

"Well, yeah. But-" Before Sakaki had a chance to offer a rebuttal, she was in the garage. The music was loud. Very loud. She could almost _hear_ her teeth rattle from the bass. There were cars everywhere, all lined up, with enough room to make a two lane path leading to the upper levels, where the racing would take place. Sakaki slowed, and followed Reiko through the mass of people, and ont a spiral ramp. She followed the pink 350z all the way up to the top floor.

They reached the top to find a small crowd, with 6 other cars lined up in a starting grid. The top floor of the parking garage was littered with orange cones, though they were placed meticulously. It didn't look like a regular race was going to take place. Ahe parked her car at the back of the grid. It was the typical two column, staggered starting block. She stepped out and walked over to the crowd to join Reiko. There were at least a dozen other people gathered there as well.

"Alright, Sakaki. Its a 50,000 yen ante." Sakaki drew out the money, and handed it to Reiko. "Alright. Each car will star 5 seconds after the one before it. You then have three laps to impress the judges," she pointed to the small set of raised bleachers covered in people, which Sakaki hadn't originally noticed. "Then, we'll line up, and they'll vote on who wins. Got it?" Everyone except Sakaki answered yes. They all left for their vehicles, leaving Sakaki and Reiko alone.

"Oh, I probably should've mentioned, it's a drift competition."

"Drift?"

"Yeah, like what you do to turn, but moreso. Get the car as sideways as you can around the turn without losing control. The faster you are and the steeper the angle, the better you'll do. Trust me, from what I've seen, you'll catch on in the first turn. Just follow me, and try to keep up. Don't worry if you get passed. You win based on the judges' decisions, not what order you finish in." She climbed in her car. "Good luck," she yelled out the window.

Rather than stand alone looking stupid, Sakaki decided, _To hell with it, _and got in her own car, revving the engine in the process. Her LCD display lit up, and showed a countdown for her to start. _35 seconds..._ At 30, the second car left the grid. Five seconds later, the third started, and so on. _Five seconds, four...three...two...one..._

Sakaki let off the clutch, and sped after Reiko's 350z.

* * *

**Author's notes: **Alright alright, I'm sorry. I really intended to put a race in this chapter, but if I had it would've run on for way too long. So, I cut it in half, and you have another shorter chapter. Sorry! 

Ok, still on Wordpad, so you know the drill about errors.

Another thing you should know, I _may_ not be doing chapters of this as fast anymore, as since last night I had a brainwave or something, and am starting two other fanfics that, just last night, I created, and developped into long stories. They'll be up soon too, probably later today, if you're interested. Anyway, read and review! Till nex time. Oh and I guarantee you won't expect whats coming for the next chapter...


	7. Chapter 7: I Fought the Law

**Disclaimer: **Alright, last one of these I'm doing for this story. I don't own Azumanga Daioh.

**A few opening words:** Sorry for taking so long for this, I was busy writing the first chapter for my other one. I decided to keep my third story in reserve and write it when I'm bored. It'll get put up when there's a fair ammount of chapters already. Anyway, enjoy...

* * *

Sakaki stuck close behind Reiko as she entered the first turn. She saw her swerve to the left to transfer wieght, and slide from there into the right handed turn. She seemed to also gun the engine as well, because a lot of smoke came from the rear wheels, and her car's rear end slid almost entirely around. Sakaki followed suit, and copied her movements perfectly, eliciting a cry of excitement from the crowd, who were suprised at the sudden tandem drift that had occurred. A short straight followed, then a left hairpin. Just as she was about to enter the turn however, she noticed the people in the bleachers suddenly get into a frenzy, and begin to run towards any exit. Reiko slammed on the brakes in front of Sakaki and spun the car around. Sakaki stopped as well, so that their driver's side windows were facing each other. She rolled her window down as Reiko did hers. 

"What's wrong?" she queried.

"Someone tipped off the cops! We gotta get outta here! Follow me."

Before Sakaki had a chance to say anything, Reiko revved her engine, and spun around Sakaki's car, heading for the ramp. Sakaki followed closely. They drifted down the spiral ramp, front and rear of the car mere inches from either wall. They continued this non-stop down all four levels. They exited on the bottom floor, and made it out the exit in the middle of a crowd of other cars, intent on escaping too. They headed out onto the street, and found the way to the left was already blocked by police. Sakaki followed Reiko to the right, and saw that police were setting up a roadblock there too. Reiko saw this too, and swerved into an alley, Sakaki hot on her tail. They had to slalom between the dunpsters that littered the alleyway. A few racers had followed them in, but the one right behind Sakaki was unlucky enough to not see a dumpster and drove into it head on, effectively blocking the way.

Up ahead, the alley exited onto a street, and continued on the other side. Reiko's face appeared in Sakaki's LCD screen.

"We're gonna go straight through, okay? As fast as you can, and just pray we don't hit anything. This neighborhood is quite busy this time of night."

Sakaki nodded, and sped up as Reiko did. As they neared the exit, Sakaki saw a big white 18-wheeler pull out infront of the exit. They were approaching fast, and Sakaki prayed that it would pass by when they got there. The cab made it by, and now the only thing in their way was the trailer. It was too late. They rocketted out of the alley, and _under _the trailer. Unfortunately for Sakaki, the wing Ezaki had installed was to tall to fit under, and was knocked clean off. They sped across the street and into the next alley, to the sound of horns blaring from the cars they had cut off. Then Sakaki noticed the distinctive flashing lights in her rear-view mirror. A cop had been on the street they crossed, and followed them in the alley. She hit the on button on the LCD screen.

"Reiko! Police, behind us!"

"Shit, really? Well, keep close. I know where we can lose them, if not on the way."

The two street racers sped through the alley, the police cruiser not far behind. Soon enough, they were out of the alley, and onto a four lane road, which happened to be quite busy. Sakaki followed Reiko down the road, but chose her own path through the traffic. She weaved in and out of the cars, crossing over into the oncoming lane ever now and then. There were too many close calls to count. Somewhere along the way, more police had joined in the chase, and there were now at least a dozen following them. Up ahead, Sakaki saw Reiko take a right turn, into three lane one way road. Sakaki waited a moment before tunring around a medium sized delivery truck. She glanced in her mirror and saw one of the police cars slam into it. She looked back ahead, and saw Reiko weaving through the oncoming traffic at a frantic pace. With not traffic travelling the same way, she had to choose her path carefully. Surprisingly, the police had followed them down the one way road. Several of them hit oncoming cars, bringing their numbers down to eight.

Up ahead, Reiko turned into a construction site. Sakaki followed closely, and noticed a large stack of pipes on the left. She let her car drift wide, and clipped the stack with her rear bumper, causeing the pipes to come tumbling down in front of the cops. Two were put out of commision, pipes lodged in the undercarriage. _At least no one was hurt,_ she thought. Sakaki sped up to catch up to Reiko. They weaved in between construction equipment, piles of building materials, and steel girders sticking out of the ground. Dirt was sprayed everywhere by their rear wheels, which had trouble gripping the dirt. Up ahead Sakaki saw a spilt in the path, and Reiko appeared onscreen.

"Sakaki, go left, and I'll go right. Keep moving as fast as you can. If we time it right, we may be able to get rid of some of those cops."

She saw Reiko swerve right, and Sakaki took the left route. A pair of cars followed Reiko, whereas the other four followed Sakaki. With the police close behind, she roared through the construction site, glad that her path was straight. She checked her mirror again to make sure the cops were still there, and didn't look back in time to see the small mound of dirt. Her car was propelled into the air, landing on the far side of a pit dug for the installation of underground pipes. Sheken, but not unnerved, she kept driving. In her mirror, the first two cruisers made it over the gap, but the third came up short. The front end of the vehicle hit the side of the pit, causing the rear to fly up, leaving the car in a vertical position. The fourth was unable to stop, and flew off the mound and into the thrid car, ending up totaled on top of the now inverted, adn partially crushed, police car. Before she had time to celebrate, Sakaki noticed a right turn in her path. She could see through the support beams that Reiko's path rejoined hers there, and that they were nearly parallel with each other.

Sakaki sped into the right turn, and into the opening, where she met up with Reiko. Their timing was perfect. hey crossed each others paths, and ended up side by side on the oppostie sides they started. The cops behind them, not knowing of the intersection, came out at full speed, directly into one another. One loud crash later, and the girls were home free. Or so they thought. They exited the construction site into the harbor. Behind them, more police cruisers flooded out of a different path. Reiko, with Sakaki close behind, veered into a maze of cargo containers. Swerving in and out of the maze, the two ended up faced with a dead end. There was a small water channel used to ferry smaller ships to the correct docks straight ahead, and a warehouse to either side. Reiko seemed stumped, and her car slowed. Thinking quickly, she took the lead, shouting at the screen as she did.

"Reiko, follow me!

Sakaki depressed the gas as much as possible, and headed to the warehouse on the left. Up ahead, beside the warehouse, there was a concrete ramp leading up to the edge of the channel, used for loading purposes. As they neared the ramp, she hit the Nitrous, trying to coax as much speed as possible from the small car. The spedometer climbed slowly, reaching 300km/h. Reiko was right behind her. She drifted off to the left a bit, giving them some room. Time slowed as the two cars hit the ramp and flew out over the channel. Sakaki's heart stopped, and she prayed that they would make it. The front of the car dipped down and she saw the other edge of the channel fly by underneath. She braced herself. Both cars landed in a shower of sparks, and hit the brakes. Sliding to a stop, the girls looked at each other. Both had an expression usually described as having seen a ghost. Reiko laughed between breaths. Once certain that no police cars had followed them over the gap, they drove off, heading into downtown Tokyo.

"Wow, Sakaki. You really _are _crazy. I wish I had a camera..."

"Where are we going now?"

"A friend of mine has a garage in the area, we'll go there until the heat dies down in our own neighborhood. We head back there now, and we'd be caught for sure. Keep up, it's not far."

* * *

**Author's notes:** Sorry this one took so long to write. Since I'm leaving in a few days, I'll be writing as much as possible, so stay tuned and I may be able to put out another chapter before I go. 

Also, I should be getting Word soon, so this'll probably be the last chapter with errors. Read and review (and spell check), and I'll see ya next time!


	8. Chapter 8: New Arrivals

**A few opening words:**Yes. I did fall asleep. I fell asleep on the keyboard no less. I woke up to find about 21 pages of random letters strewn across it from where my head was. Though, at some parts there were some partly legible areas, meaning I had been typing in my _sleep_. Beat that. Anyway, on to your long awaited chapter…

-----

"Well, well, well! What have we hear!"

"Stow it, Take, we need a place to hide out for the night."

"Yeah yeah, no one 's ever here to see _me_."

They had arrived at Reiko's friend's a mere ten minutes after losing the police in the harbor. They were lucky though, they had dodged no less than three police cruisers on the way. Sakaki's heart was still working overtime. The garage was owned by Take, a childhood friend of Reiko. He was regarded as one of the best mechanics in Tokyo, but no one knew where his garage was, except Reiko. He didn't like attention, and was a bit of a hermit. The building contained no cars, other than Reiko's and Sakaki's, but the garage itself was top of the line. Spotless floors and walls, high quality tools lined the walls, and overall it gave an aura of expertise. On the far wall, there was a door leading to what Sakaki assumed was a storage room full of top of the line parts. _Certainly has all his bases covered, _she thought.

"You can stay the night if ya want, there's bunks in the back," he looked over at Sakaki who was looking around curiously, "And don't touch anything!" He scowled, and headed into the back room. Reiko laughed, and led Sakaki over to the bunk bed.

"He comes of grumpy, but he means well. Since you're at least a foot taller than me, you get the top bunk." She gestured at the bottom bunk. "Not much clearance down there." Sakaki blushed, and looked back at their cars, which were dented and scratched badly. Reiko followed her gaze, and answered her unspoken question. "Don't worry about the cars, I'll get Ezaki to clean 'em up tomorrow." She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. "Well, it's almost midnight, and I suppose you have school tomorrow. We should get some sleep. We'll stop by my garage on the way in the morning and you can change into your uniform."

An hour later the lights were out, and Sakaki was laying in the top bunk, unable to sleep. She had opted to sleep in her clothes, simply because it was easy. She reflected on the day's events and smiled. She couldn't figure out why the chase had excited her so much, let alone the racing in general. What she was doing was illegal and she knew it, but she kept doing it. Maybe it was because there wasn't enough excitement in her life? Either way, it still felt odd for her. Less than a week ago she would have been terrified to break the law, let alone drive get involved in street racing. It didn't matter now though. Sakaki was part of the community, and enjoyed it. She had made a few friends already, and with all the money she would be able to put _herself_ through school, to hopefully be a veterinarian. Thinking about it that way, it almost justified what she was doing. She would take the burden off her parents when it came to post-secondary schooling, and she felt good about that. _Well, it's still probably a bad idea to tell my friends, _she thought. _They would disapprove._

"Yo Sakaki, you can't sleep either?" Sakaki didn't know Reiko was still awake.

"No."

"Me neither, probably cause of all the excitement today." Sakaki heard her roll over. "I've been meaning to ask you something. That first night, a few days ago when you beat me, why did you go through with the race? You'd never raced before, nor did you know anyone it seemed."

"I don't know, really. I guess I was too surprised to refuse. Ezaki seemed nice though, and I was kinda curious…" Sakaki sighed, remembering that first race. "Reiko, what about you?"

"Ah, a lot of things really. When I was younger, about 12 I think, my mother was killed in an accident involving street racers. After that, I took an interest in them, but not to become a racer. I hated them, and looked into becoming a cop. When I got into high school, I met Take. He was an outcast of sorts, maybe that's why we got along. I was never popular in school. Anyway, we started going out, and eventually he let me know he was a racer and took me to one of the meets. I hated him for it, and we broke up. But then I thought, 'Hey, what if the guy who killed my mother was still a racer?' I started showing up at the meets, and asking around, trying to find the guy. It didn't take long, he wasn't well liked. Well, one thing led to another, and we met up. I kicked the shit outta him, and put him in the hospital for a few months. I was arrested for it, and put in jail, to be released once my bail was met. They couldn't sentence me for any time, because if the guy said anything, he'd have to reveal that he was a racer. After a few nights, Take arrived and bailed me out. He'd quit racing after the night we broke up, after hearing what happened to my mom. We became friends again, but didn't date anymore. I wasn't ready for a relationship. He became the mechanic you know, and I started showing up at the meets. I made a few friends who changed my perspective of racing. Eventually, Take sponsored me in a race in his old car. From there, I went to college and got a mechanic's degree, racing in my free time. Now, well, you know the rest."

Sakaki thought for a moment, then posed another question. "Reiko, who _was_ the racer you beat up?"

"You should know him. Thinks high of himself, and doesn't take well to losing?"

"Nico?!? Really?"

"Yup. That's why I stayed behind that night. I just can't deal with him."

Sakaki yawned. She was beginning to nod off. "Reiko… sorry about your mother."

"Don't worry about me, I've had time to deal with it." There was a long pause, and Reiko spoke again. "Sakaki, I wanna thank you."

"What for?"

"Well, I've never really spoken to anyone about this, other than Take, and it just feels good to get it out."

"It's nothing. I'm glad I could help." She heard Reiko yawn.

"Well, I guess that means it's time to sleep. Goodnight, Sakaki."

"Goodnight Reiko."

-----

Sakaki woke up first to the sight of Take finishing off a layer of wax on her car. She stretched, and climbed down off the bunk bed. Take had some music going so he didn't hear her. The shaking of the bed, caused by Sakaki climbing down, woke up Reiko. She looked at the clock and sighed.

"Good, for a second I thought we overslept." Sakaki looked at her oddly.

"Overslept? You don't have anywhere you need to be early in the morning!"

"Well yeah, but I don't want you late for school. I may be a girl with not a care in the world, but at least I know school is important." She looked over and noticed Take for the first time. "Take, what're you up to this early? Don't you usually sleep most of the day?" Take didn't look up, but answered anyway.

"Well, I saw these nice cars here all scratched up and dented, and I couldn't let them stay that way. So I put my skills to work and fixed 'em up for ya. Also, I fine tuned the Fairlady's transmission, giving it more power in the lower gears without sacrificing your top speed."

Sakaki leaned over to Reiko. "Fairlady?"

"Yeah, Fairlady Z. It's the original name for the car. When it was shipped to America, they named it the 350Z. While Fairlady Z is the true name, it's sometimes easier to call it a 350Z. More people know it by that name anyway." She walked over to her car, and gestured to Sakaki to get in hers.

"Well Take, we gotta get going. Thanks for polishing up the cars for us."

"Ah don't worry about it. Anything for a friend. One thing though, keep an eye on that friend of yours. I don't know what it is, but she could have some real potential." He stared into Reiko's eyes, and Sakaki knew some words were left unspoken, even though she couldn't hear the whole conversation. "Anyway, drop by more often, we need to catch up."

"I will, Take, I will." She embraced him in a friendly hug, and slid into her car. Sakaki started hers, and put it into gear. She heard Take yell out to her as he went to open the doors.

"Hey Sakaki! If you ever get yourself another car, bring it to me and I'll turn it into a winner for ya!" Sakaki waved her arm out the window as she headed out into the street after Reiko.

-----

It was the beginning of lunch for Sakaki. The morning had been largely uneventful. She had driven back to the garage with Reiko, changed, and made it to Chiyo's house in time to walk to school with her. Yukari was late again, and other than that, nothing had happened. Sakaki was on her way to the school store to buy some food when she felt her PDA begin to vibrate in her pocket. She took it out and checked the message. It was Reiko and she wanted Sakaki to call her, saying it was urgent. She wasted no time heading up to the roof. Luckily, all her friends were staying in the classroom to eat today. She dialed Reiko's number.

"Reiko? You wanted me to call?"

"Yeah. I don't know if you know, but the annual Yakuza sponsored Team tournament is starting up in a few days. Teams have been showing up from all around today. More than usual though. Apparently, the guy who runs the races is making an announcement tonight at the Arena. Anyway, I don't want you to take _any _challenges from the teams that are arriving. Some of them are bad news, one in particular. They're known as the Vipers, and unless things have changed, they'll be driving black cars with a cobra on the hood. They usually drive RX-7s I think. They try to win at any cost, usually at the cost of the other driver. And they go for the top racers, and well known ones. You're up there, so just watch yourself, ok?"

"I'll be careful."

"Good. Drop by the garage later around 5-ish and we'll go to the announcement and see what it's all about."

"Alright, I'll be there. See you then." Sakaki hit the end call button, and returned the PDA to her pocket. She decided simply to ignore any requests, and headed back down the stairs, at a quickened pace. She was hungry and wanted to get to the store before they were sold out.

-----

Kagura leaned back into the shadows at the top of the stairs as Sakaki raced by. She had come up to the roof in search of her, hoping to get some questions answered, but saw her on the phone. Sakaki hadn't noticed, so Kagura stayed in the shadows and listened. Unfortunately, since Sakaki didn't talk much, she didn't find anything out. But, now Kagura knew for sure _something_ was up. It seemed like the person on the other end had a lot to say, and was obviously warning her about something. Whatever it was, Kagura was now determined to find out what it was. She made up her mind to drop by Sakaki's house after swimming practice.

------

The sun was already beginning to set as Kagura made her way to Sakaki's house. She looked at her watch. _Six. Sakaki should be back from her walk with Chiyo by now._ She turned a corner, and onto Sakaki's street. Arriving at her house, she knocked on the door, and was met with Sakaki's father.

"Ah, you must be Kagura."

"Yes. Is Sakaki home?"

"I'm sorry, she left about an hour ago. Said she was going out with friends. Should I tell her you stopped by?"

"Sure, thanks."

"Alright. Have a good night." Kagura smiled, and started the trip back home. She was disappointed that Sakaki wasn't home, but this only added to her suspicions. She broke into a jog and ran through several possibilities, all ending in her laughing. It was hard to imagine Sakaki doing anything reckless. Before long, she had arrived on her own street. However, as she approached her house, she saw a sleek looking black car parked in front of her house. It looked strangely familiar. As she drew nearer, she saw that it had a cobra painted on the hood. She saw the license plate which read VIPER1, and then remembered where she had seen it before. Last year, around the same time, her cousin had come to visit for a week. She went inside, and there, sitting on the couch, was her cousin Tetsu.

-----

**Author's notes: **Sorry it took so long. After a long sleep, and then a day of helping a family member move, I was finally able to write at around 8pm. It was half finished when I left for vacation, but I ended up rewriting most of it. It also usually takes me twice as long to write non-racing chapters too. I dunno why.

Anyway, there's the chapter, enjoy! I promise, there won't be as much of a wait for the next one. I'll be switching back and forth between my two stories, and the next chapter for my other one is already ¾ done. Read and review!

Till next time!


	9. Chapter 9:  Reappearance

**A few opening words: **Holy long chapter, Batman! I am so very sorry it took me this long to update. Since it's been so long, I'll leave you with a long chapter to compensate. It's actually a chapter and a half. I kinda merged the two, and ended up with an awesome final product. As for my excuse, well, I just have a lot of stuff going on this week. It probably didn't help that my cousin threw up, or as he would say, "Blew chunks" all over my keyboard the other day. Also, an anonymous reader (says the name is Tipoc) pointed out that I had accidentally switched Chapter 7 with a copy of Chapter 8. Don't even know how that happened, must've been when editting the errors in either one. I should probably stop staying up so late, but when I get typing, i can't stop. Anyway, I won't keep you waiting any longer. Enjoy…

* * *

"Tetsu? When did you get here?" 

"Oh, earlier today. It's been a while, don't you miss me?" He had a friendly smile on his face, but Kagura knew what lay behind his mask.

"Not nearly as little as I'd like to. Why are you here?"

"Can't a guy visit his favorite cousin?"

"Bullshit. Last time you were here you got drunk and started to hit on me."

"Oh. Well…talk about your awkward moments, huh?"

"Can the crap. Why are you _really _here?"

"Well, if I told you that, I'd ruin the thrill of the chase."

Kagura glared at him. He stared back, a cocky smile on his face. Before either could break the silence, Kagura's dad walked in.

"Well, I see you've met our guest." He then seemed to notice the tension in the room. Looking from Kagura to Tetsu, and back to Kagura, he chuckled.

"Kagura, don't tell me you're suspicious of him still. It's been a full year."

"You don't know him as well as I do, dad."

"You know, you won't gain many friends unless you learn to give people benefit of the doubt. Anyway, dinner's about ready." He left to go set the table, followed by Tetsu. _Benefit of the doubt… Maybe he's right… _She leaned back against the wall. Maybe she was wrong about Sakaki. _It can't be anything bad, it is Sakaki right?_She decided she would just let Sakaki tell her on her own time. Tetsu, on the other hand, was a different matter. Kagura already knew he was involved in several illegal activities, street racing being one of them. Last year when he visited, there were four homicides in one week, and he would always arrive home almost exactly ten minutes before the news came on to tell of the latest one. She knew he was dangerous, and that he was involved, but she just didn't know how much.

"Kagura! Your food's gonna get cold!"

"I'll be right there!"

* * *

"Ah good, you're here. I dunno what you know, but I'll fill you in on the way. Hop in; Ezaki's taking his own car." 

As soon as Sakaki walked in the door to the garage, she was ushered into the passenger seat of Reiko's Fairlady Z. Ezaki was behind it in his own car, a red RX-8 with an intricate design on the side, in a slightly lighter tone of red. Before long, they were out into the night traffic, which was, as usual, hectic.

"All right, every year, the Yakuza, you know who they are right?" Sakaki nodded. Everyone knew about the infamous Japanese mob. "Good. Every year they sponsor a large street racing tournament, just outside of town, on a special track they built a few year back. They bought a huge plot of land just outside the city and built it, as traffic was increasing steadily throughout the years, causing more and more casualties, which are apparently 'bad for business'. Anyway, it's huge. It's also team based, and you need at least a four person team to be admitted, and only the best of those actually qualify." She took a moment to lean out the window and throw a few choice curses at a driver who cut her off. "As I was saying, teams come from around the world, not just Japan, though most are national."

"The cash prizes are huge; the equivalent of 2 million American dollars goes to each team member of the winning team. But it's not the cash that the teams are in it for. Each team gets a pair of Nissan Skyline R34 Nur's, completely tricked out and tuned by some of the best names in the street racing scene. Along with that, the team's home garage gets a complete renovation too, and they are often granted sponsorships from some of the biggest after-market parts manufacturers too. It's a sweet deal."

"I haven't ever been in the tournament; it's always been just me and Ezaki. I don't know about this year either, though it's not like it matters. I can always convince Take to get us the parts we need. Anyway, on to the teams. Since it's such a coveted prize, teams get quite competitive. The Yakuza doesn't care what goes on outside the track, so long as it doesn't involve them. Every year, some of the higher ranking racers fall victim to unexplained 'accidents' and their team is forced to leave the tournament. There are a few good teams out there, who I'll point out later. But the bad ones are who you want to watch out for, one in particular. The Vipers. They were kicked out of the tournament for sabotaging another racer's car, though, they didn't find out till after the next race, which didn't end well for that driver. They act all nice and honorable, but don't let that fool you. They're as dirty as they come. They'll find out who the best racers are, and what team they race with, and not long after that team is usually forced to drop out, due to casualties. They drive black RX-7s, with a cobra on the hood. They're good drivers too, so don't underestimate them. Anyway, look up ahead, we're here."

Sakaki looked up. She hadn't been paying any attention to where they were. Up ahead there was a large building, probably about four or five stories high, and from the left and right a cement wall went for about the width of the building to either side. The large parking lot in front of it was packed full of races and their cars, all obviously divided into their teams, with groupings of four cars seen here and there; Reiko called out the team names as they passed some of them.

Reiko pointed to a team of foreigners standing by four sleek looking exotics. "Those are the Bulls, they're here from Italy. They drive Lamborghini's, a Murcielago and two Gallardo's. They're god clean drivers." Pointing to a team driving NSXs, she called out again. "They call themselves the Six Shooters. You've raced one of their teammates before, T.L. They're kinda shifty; often carry around six shot revolvers to go along with their name, and the V6 engines. Careful around them." Pointing again off to her right at another group of foreigners, this one driving sporty looking 2 door sedans. "Those guys are German, all driving BMW M3 GTRs. A good solid car. They race kinda dirty, but only on the track. No one knows how to pronounce their team name, so we just call 'em the Beamers." Sakaki noticed they seemed to be in a good mood, laughing it up with a group of racers who weren't on a team. "Well, here we are." Reiko pulled into an empty spot, apparently reserved for her 'crew', as she had called it.

They got out of the car, as Ezaki pulled up beside them. Their small area had a picnic table and a large cooler, full of drinks and the like. There wasn't a barrier of any kind separating the areas, but the people had formed a small opening for each group. Apparently a team that was invited to the announcement was very important.

"Sakaki, you stay here with Ezaki. I gotta go inside to hear this announcement. There's only room for one member from each team. There are drinks in the cooler, other than that, try to have a good time!" She then turned, and shoved her way rather forcefully into the crowd. Sakaki took a seat opposite Ezaki, and rummaged through the cooler in search of something non-alcoholic. She had had alcohol before, but didn't like the taste. She finally found a can of soda, and cracked it open. Ezaki finished a small can of beer in one swig, and turned to her.

"Well Sakaki, you're now officially the third member of the team. Have any friends or siblings that are amazingly good at racing?" Sakaki thought for a moment, running through the several possibilities. _Yukari-sensei…No. No way. Tomo? Unlikely, she'd end up totaling her car trying to out-do everyone. Osaka? No__, she'd__… well, she'd be Osaka. Yomi's too __wise__ and watching over Tomo is a full time job. Kaorin wouldn't go near a race, she's too timid. Chiyo? Aside from being way too young, I doubt she'd go near a fast moving car after being in the Yukari-mobile. Though, she'd make a great mechanic. _Her thoughts drifted to the last two candidates, those who seemed most likely. _Kurosawa-sensei's outgoing enough, and her personality seems to fit… I don't know, it seems weird, but not in a bad way. Lastly, there's Kagura. She'd do it in a heartbeat just to compete with me, but aside from that, she seems amazingly similar to Reiko, both in personality and attitude. Maybe…_ "Not that I know of. Sorry Ezaki."

"Ah don't worry about it; it'd be dangerous for your health anyway. Some of those teams are way too competitive, the Vipers in particular. Even killed a guy last year, so I'm surprised the Yakuza is letting them back."

"I don't know, the whole Yakuza thing seems odd to me. Aren't they supposed to be the guys who go around killing everyone?"

"Not as much as you'd expect. They only 'dispose of' those who mess with 'em. You know, like the government. They'd be a respectable company, or whatever they'd be, if they didn't deal with illegal merchandise." Sakaki was about to ask another question, when from out of the crowd came none other than Nico.

"Well what have we here? Crazy girl decided to show up after all. Too bad you ain't got a team to race with. I guess you'll have to stay in the little leagues." Sakaki stood up. She wasn't frustrated or even angry, but she didn't like Nico much, and wasn't about to be pushed around.

"What do you want, Nico?"

"Oh wouldn't it be obvious? I want compensation for that little stunt you pulled. You totaled my car, and made me the laughing stock of the community. Pay up."

"No."

"Defiant, are we? Well, I guess I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson then." He cracked his knuckles. The crowd spread out, forming a large circle around Sakaki, Nico, and Ezaki. It seemed as though he wanted a fight. That was the last thing Sakaki wanted. She didn't even know how to fight! _Wait, I _did_ take those martial arts courses a few years back._ When she was in grade school, she had often been bullied because of how tall she was. Fearing for her safety, her mother had enrolled her in a martial arts school. Sakaki learned well, and excelled at it, before she graduated and the bullying stopped. That was almost 4 and a half years ago, she could barely remember any of her teachings. All she could remember were some basic stances, and not much else.

"Sakaki, you don't have to do this! It's a bad idea! He's a street fighter, he'll really hurt you!"

"Pipe down, Ezaki." Yelled Nico, before he lunged over and leveled Ezaki with a straight punch to the face. "Now where were we?" Sakaki leaned back a bit on her right foot, and concentrated on anticipating Nico's attacks, so she could dodge, or even counter them if she was lucky. After circling her for a few long moments, Nico charged her, right arm raised high for a punch. Sakaki watched his arm as it came down at her face. Then something strange happened. Her body seemed to move of its own will. She twisted to the left, grabbing Nico's arm as it passed inches from her face. She added her own strength to his momentum, throwing him off balance. As he fell forward beside her, she brought he right elbow down on his back, causing a pained grunt from Nico. He hit the ground hard. The crowd had gone silent by now. Sakaki, edged back, giving him some room, and herself some time to think.

Sakaki wondered what had happened. It was as if her body remembered her martial arts teachings and her body simply tool over, as if on autopilot. Then she remembered something her sensei had said, that once her teachings were complete, she would not need to remember them. She would act on instinct, without having to think. _So _that's_ what he meant._ She strafed right, her back to the picnic table now. Nico pushed himself up. Sakaki could see he was unhurt, but angry. Ezaki was on the sidelines, held up by one of the Bulls. His nose was bleeding profusely, obviously broken. He was beaming though, and when he caught her gaze, he raised both hands and gave her two enthusiastic thumbs up. Sakaki looked back to Nico, and readied herself for his next attack. This time, he charged in and attacked with a weak left arm punch aimed at her face. Sakaki ducked under it with ease, and pushed off with her left foot, crouching low as she did. She slid under Nico, almost between her legs. Continuing in one smooth movement, she reached between his legs and, using her left arm to support his chest, flipped him over her head, surprised at how light he felt. Nico catapulted over Sakaki and landed on his back on the picnic table, which collapsed under the weight. With a grunt her rolled over, and looked into her eyes. She could see he was no longer angry, but looked almost _scared._ As quickly as she saw it, it was gone and he heaved himself up again. The crowd was now cheering Sakaki's name, and once again, she slid back into her stance. Her eyes were slits, she was now fully concentrating on the fight.

Nico approached slowly this time, a small stream of blood coming from the corner of his mouth. Time slowed for Sakaki as Nico feigned a punch, rather poorly, and, using the momentum gained by the feign, spun around on his left leg, bring his right around in a roundhouse kick aimed at chest level. Sakaki could see this coming, and crouched low to the ground, spinning herself clockwise on her left leg in a perfect sweep kick. Her right shin knocked Nico's left aside with ease. Now without support in the middle of his kick, he began to fall. Continuing her spin, she raised herself off the ground, right leg swinging high to gain momentum. She brought her right leg back around again in a kick similar to a punt, connecting with Nico's midsection, before he even hit the ground. He was sent rolling away from Sakaki, grabbing for his stomach. Sakaki held her right leg high for a moment; where it was after following through with the kick. She balanced herself with ease and slowly lowered her right leg and transitioned back into her fighting stance. The crowd cheered even louder, and Ezaki almost fell over trying to raise his arms to clap above his head. The Bull member kept him up though.

Nico grunted, and slowly pushed himself up. His face was twisted in agony. He had his left arm around his stomach, and the other was… In an instant, the look of agony was gone from his face, replaced by one of grim satisfaction. His right arm came up from behind his back, a large silver pistol in its possession. _He must've been hiding that in the small of his back!_ The gun glinted in the moonlight. Nico aimed it at her head, and spoke.

"Game over, Miss Sakaki."

* * *

**Author's notes: ** Yaaaay! More cliffhangers! 

First, two things. One, I am really bad at coming up with team names. Because of this, I am going to resort to using you guys. There will be a lot of teams, so I need some names, and cars. This is also your chance to kind of make an appearance in the fanfic, however small. I already have all the important ones squared away, but I gotta have some fodder….errr, competition for them right? Let me know if you have any ideas in a review!

Second, I'm sorry if the little fight is a little hard to follow. I did in fact take martial arts in the past, but I only vaguely remember it. Coincidentally, it works the same way as mentioned in the story, I seem to magically remember when in a fight. Weird, no? Anyway, what I mean to say is, sorry if the fight is hard to follow. There probably won't be that many in the story anyway, it's a street racing themed fanfic after all!

Alright, now that that's all squared away, I hope you enjoyed it! I will commence work on the next chapter as soon as Chapter 4 of Memories Lost is done. Until then, read and review people I'm open to constructive criticism and any ideas you may have (and I've even given you a task too), so let me know what you think!

Till next time…


	10. Chapter 10: Old Friends Make Good Allies

**A few opening words: **And now the exciting conclusion, err… continuation of Behind the Wheel. When we last left off, our star Sakaki had defeated her opponent (i.e.: kicked his ass HARDCORE!!!), only to find he had a gun! Oh noes! What will happen next? Well, let's find out…

* * *

"Game over, Miss Sakaki."

Sakaki froze, but didn't show any fear. She stared Nico in the eyes, not willing to back down just because he had a gun.

"Looks like I win." A random guy in the crowd yelled out.

"You cheated! She beat you fair and square!" The rest of the crowd cheered their agreement.

"So? I'm the one with the gun, so I call the shots!" Nico looked around, then back at Sakaki.

"Well, time to say-" He was cut off but the sound of two guns being cocked. To his left and right, two members of the Bulls stepped out of the crowd, both with pistols aimed at his head. The one holding Ezaki up stepped forward. She assumed he was the team's leader.

"Time to say what?" He laughed. "Drop the gun."

Nico glanced nervously at the two men with the guns, and back at the Bulls' leader. He scowled and dropped the gun, proceeding to then turn and run into the crowd, shoving people out of the way. The two Bulls put their guns away, and after a nod from their leader, they walked off to their cars as the crowd dispersed and went back to whatever they were doing. The leader looked back at Sakaki.

"Well, I'd ask if you were alright, but I think the answer is kinda obvious. Name's Carlos." He stuck out his free hand, which Sakaki shook.

"You speak Japanese?"

"Yeah, I learned it when I found out about the tournaments the Yakuza runs. That was about 5 years ago. Some of my teammates can too, but not well. Come, join us for some drinks." He led Sakaki and Ezaki through the crowd to a pair of picnic tables where the four Lamborghinis were parked. Sakaki took a seat beside Ezaki. Carlos pulled a bag of ice out of the cooler and tossed it to Ezaki.

"Sakaki, you want a beer?"

"No alcohol, thanks."

"Oh right, you're still in high school. Sorry." He tossed her a can of juice, taking a beer for himself. He then took a seat, and a long drink from his can. Sakaki waited for him to finish before she spoke.

"So, you're from Italy?"

"Yeah. Long way huh?"

"Yes. How did you manage to get the cars here? Never mind that, how did you hear about the tournament in the first place?"

"I'm sure Reiko told you that, the Japanese street racing scene is one of the biggest in the world. It's hard not to hear about something big like this. As for how we got here, we went on a road trip, and took a ferry across the water."

"A road trip? That must've taken weeks!"

"Well, we managed to cut down the time in some of those Middle Eastern countries. They don't have the best law enforcement there, so we were able to speed through as fast as we wanted." He took another drink, finishing the can. "So Sakaki, I've heard a lot of stories about a tall quiet girl driving a black dragon S2000. Any of them relate to you?" Sakaki blushed.

"Probably. Reiko tells me I'm famous in the area, but I haven't heard any stories."

"Really? How about how you totaled Nico's car, then beat him up without throwing a punch? Or that massive police chase? Or even when you beat Reiko, who is one of this area's best racers, in the first race of your career?"

"Well…um…"

"Also, after seeing you nearly wreck your car in the video of your race with Nico, I've been wondering, who is your mechanic? He must be a miracle worker!" After hearing this, Ezaki spoke up in his name. Or at least he would have, if not for the ice pack covering his nose and mouth. What he had intended to say came out as an odd sounding mix of mumbles and gasping. Sakaki and Carlos stared at him for a few moments, but couldn't hold back their laughter for long. Ezaki slouched back into his seat, with an annoyed looked on his face. Having recovered from his laughing fit, Carlos spoke again.

"So Sakaki, will you be drivin' in the tournament?"

"Doubt it. It's for teams of four, right?"

"Yeah, though I'm surprised no one's picked you up for their team. You're quite the driver so I hear. Maybe you drive with me? I'll get you a nice Lamborghini, like mine!"

"No, I'm kind of on Reiko's team, though there is only three of us; me, Reiko, and Ezaki here."

"Ah, so she _did_ take you on! Well, I hope you guys find a fourth member, I would enjoy racing you in the tournament."

"That would be interesting."

"Sorry for all the questions, it's just that I want to know what's the truth and what's not. How long have you been racing?"

"No more than a week. I've only been in two races, and a police chase."

"Reiko must see something in you then, she wouldn't take anyone on with so little experience, let alone give them one of her cars."

"How do you know Reiko anyway?"

"Last year in the tournament we were down a member for one of the races. Reiko stepped forward, she had no team back then. We won the race of course, thanks to her, and I tried to get her to join the team. She wouldn't though, and after our teammate returned, she was back to watching the races from the sidelines. But that wasn't the end of it. We ended up in the final four, one of which was the Vipers. They were out for blood, and sabotaged my team's cars before the race. She must've found out about it somehow, and if it wasn't for her I would've been killed with the rest of my team…"

"Your whole team was killed?"

"Well, only the three that came that year, we have a lot more members than that. But yeah, my whole team. After that, she hid me from them because, since I was a witness, the Vipers were looking for me. She kept me hidden until the Yakuza found out, and that was it for the Vipers in that tournament. Though, there was no solid proof against them, so they were only kicked out of the tournament."

"I…I don't know what to say…"

"Don't say anything. We've had enough time to grieve, and we're over it. I look forward to facing the Vipers in a fair race this time. Anyway, enough about that. So, whether or not you get into the tournament, we should set up a race sometime!" Before Sakaki could answer, a voice from behind her took her place.

"I'd like that."

"Ah! So you're back, Reiko!"

"Don't forget, Carlos, you still owe me."

"Yeah, I know. It's hard to pay a debt when you're only around for a few weeks a year."

"You'll find a way. I hope you've been treating my friends here alright…"

"I have, but there was one problem…" Carlos gestured to Ezaki, and Reiko noticed for the first time that he had an ice pack over his face.

"What the hell happened to you?" Ezaki removed the ice pack, revealing a slightly crooked nose, with dried blood on his upper lip. When he spoke, his voice was somewhat nasally.

"Ran into an old friend of Sakaki's. Nico. It was a cheap shot, a sucker punch. I coulda taken him…"

"Heh, sure you could've." She took a seat between Sakaki and Ezaki, and took a look at his nose. "Yeah, it's a little bent outta shape, but it's not serious. Hold still." She placed both thumbs on either side of his crooked nose, and with a sickening pop, shifted it back into place, causing Ezaki no small amount of pain. "There you go, good as new!" Ezaki mumbled something about needing a beer, and wandered over to the cooler to grab one, leaving Reiko with Sakaki and Carlos. The crowd had begun to thin out as some teams began to leave. Reiko eyed Sakaki suspiciously, yet in a playful way.

"So, who ended up having to deal with Nico, anyway? I suspect there was a fight involved?" Sakaki fidgeted, but Carlos saved her from having to answer.

"Sakaki kicked his ass! She pulled some awesome martial arts moves on him or something, and put him down without ever attacking! All she did was counter his attacks. It was over before it stated."

"Something tells me more happened…"

"Oh, right. Then he pulled a gun."

"He WHAT?"

"Relax, you know my boys never leave home unarmed right? Not after last year. We took care it. He buggered off without any more trouble."

"Well, that's good. Hey Sakaki! Looks like it's one ass-kicking apiece huh? Maybe we should look into a tiebreaker!" She laughed at her own joke. "Anyway, I was surprised not to see you up there Carlos, you don't normally send one of your teammates."

"Well, I was on my way up when I saw Nico punch Ezaki in the face. Right there I knew there was gonna be a fight, and I know Nico likes to fight dirty, so I figured I'd stick around unless he tried anything. Also, I wanted to see him get his ass whooped by a girl."

"Again, you mean. Anyhow, we'd better be going. Ezaki! You good to drive?"

"Yeah!"

"Good, meet us at the cars." Ezaki finished off his beer, and left for the cars. "Well, it was nice seeing you again Carlos! Take care, 'till we meet again!" She embraced him in a friendly hug. Sakaki simply stared blankly as Reiko led her across the nearly empty parking lot. Reiko caught her gaze.

"What? I can't show any sentiment? He's a good friend!"

"Oh it's not that, it's just… odd, seeing you do that…"

"Coming from someone who's known me for only a week?"

"Still…"

"Ahhh, leave me alone!" She gave Sakaki a playful shove, and they ran back to their cars. Ezaki had them already running. Reiko took the wheel of her Fairlady Z while Sakaki rode shotgun. Ezaki led them out of the lot, and his face quickly filled Reiko's LCD screen.

"So Reiko, when are you gonna tell us what went on in there?"

"Be patient, I'll tell you when we get back."

"Not even a hint?"

"It's big news."

* * *

**Author's notes:** Alright, I had to sit down and almost literally tie myself to my chair to finish this one. I couldn't for the love of GOD concentrate on it. Luckily though, in the weee hours of the morning, I was able to scrape together the rest of the chapter. I am somewhat pleased with the result, and can't wait to get back to writing the racing. But there can't always be action. Sakaki needs her rest.

Anyway, one of the reasons I've had trouble with is this damn other idea I've had. It's turned out quite well, and puts the characters of Azumanga Daioh in a position I would love to see. I have written the first two chapters already, but I'm not sure if I wanna put it up yet. If I did then I would strain myself to putting chapters out as much as possible, and I already have two to write. Maybe, if anyone wants me to, I'll put up a sneak peak in my profile or something.

Also, I apologize for the lame opening words. It was very late at night when I wrote them. Till next time!


	11. Chapter 11a: Kagura's Tale

**A few opening words:** Yeah, this'll be a two-part chapter. See Author's notes for more details.

Sorry for the delay, had to clean house, visit with family, and pack for upcoming trip (see Author's notes for details). Anyway, without further adieu...

* * *

Kagura was in a foul mood at the end of the school day. The night before, her cousin had arrived. He was not someone she liked, and had hoped that the year before was the last time she'd see him. However, as luck would have it, he decided to visit, or so he said. _It was bad enough that he had to come, _she thought, _but why did he insist on driving me to school? It was probably him trying to get on my good side._ If that wasn't enough, the stitches in her hand, caused by the grey cat that always bit Sakaki, had forced her to take a temporary leave from the swim team, in order to let the wound heal.

To add to her misery, the day had been a weird one for Kagura. After being dropped off by Tetsu, receiving weird looks from some of the other students, she had to endure Tomo teasing her about it. Apparently, whenever a girl and a guy are in a car together for any length of time, that _must _mean they are dating. The good thing was that as soon as Yukari entered the room, she pelted Tomo with a barrage of chalk, for various reasons. However, all good things come to an end, and Yukari decided to throw a pop quiz, which Kagura promptly failed.

The next class was equally as painful. Gym with Mrs. Kurosawa. It wouldn't have been bad if not for the fact that they were in the pool today, meaning Kagura had to sit the class out. Telling her teacher, and swim coach, that she had to skip class, and swim team practice, was one of the hardest things Kagura had had to do. At least she was understanding.

The thing that bugged her about the school day in general was not Tomo or missing out on swimming, however, it was Sakaki. She seemed to be out of it, more so than Osaka. Twice she had been caught daydreaming in class, and once she was hit by chalk thrown by Yukari. What an odd sight that was. During lunch, Kagura had tried to track down Sakaki to talk to her, but she seemingly disappeared, at least until lunch was over.

So, having survived the school day, Kagura decided she would get at least _something_ meaningful done today. She decided to spy on Sakaki, and solve the mystery once and for all! Kagura waited for her just outside the school, behind a tree. She didn't have to wait long; Sakaki was one of the first people out of the school. Kagura waited until she was a fair distance away before giving chase.

* * *

Kagura followed Sakaki closely, yet not so close that Sakaki would notice. There were a few close calls here and there, most caused by Kagura being overzealous. After what seemed like a marathon, Sakaki headed for a building. Kagura stopped and observed from a fair distance away, as to not be seen. She read the sign above the building's large garage door. _Hakashi Automotive Experts. So it _does _have something to do with cars._ Sakaki knocked on the door, and was let in by a cheerful looking older woman, who closed the door in a hurry.

Kagura stepped out from her hiding place in a bush and approached the building. She crept up to the garage door and pressed her ear to it, trying to overhear any conversation. Unfortunately, this drew a few stares from the people on the sidewalk. Kagura threw herself off the door, and nearly fell over. Stumbling for words, she gave up and darted into the alley beside the garage. _Smooth. Way to not draw attention, dumbass._ Kagura noticed a vent off to her right, which wasn't in use, whatever its use was. She bent over, and listened to the noises echoing out. She heard faint music, and a few voices, but couldn't make anything out. Then she heard what sounded like a faint clicking, maybe a car starting...

"AUGH!" Kagura leapt back, covering her ears. The sound of a car's engine wasn't normally this loud, even tuner cars, yet the noise was magnified a few times over through the vent Kagura had her ear to. She jogged to the edge of the building as the garage door opened, shaking her head to get the ringing out as she went. Kagura peered around the corner, and watched as a red RX-8 screamed out of the garage and down the street, followed by a pink Fairlady Z. Kagura watched the last car closely though, for inside she saw someone she didn't expect to see. There, in the driver's seat of the grey S2000 she had seen multiple times, was Sakaki.

* * *

Kagura walked home slowly, deep in thought. Seeing Sakaki in a street racing car didn't come as much of a surprise, given what Kagura had seen in the past week. The thing that baffled her was that Sakaki was the driver of the infamous grey and back S2000 that had almost run her over the night two days ago. The same S2000 that had been driven off the roof of a train and had become famous on the internet for it's involvement in the massive police chase that same night. From what Kagura had heard (well, read on the internet), Sakaki had earned the nickname 'Black Dragon', because of her car's paintjob, and the fact that no one really knew her and she was quite new to the scene. _Well, she seems to know what she's doing at least. _

Kagura looked up and noticed she was almost home. Coming up to the corner of her street, she heard a faint _mew_ from behind her. She stopped dead in her tracks. Slowly turning around, she looked back the way she had come. There, sitting in the middle of the path, was the grey cat. She looked it in the eyes, and it stared back, unfazed. Kagura watched as it parted its lips, revealing two rows of sharp teeth. Kagura could've sworn it was grinning at her. Then, it stood up, and slowly took a few steps towards her.

"No time like the present for a nice, long run!" Kagura said to herself as she turned and ran, book bag and all. It wasn't that she was afraid of it. No, she just didn't want to hurt the thing. Or at least, that's what she kept telling herself as she ran full speed in the opposite direction.

* * *

Kagura slowly rounded he last corner. She could see her house down the street. _Damn cat. _She inspected the scratches on her arms. _How the hell did it keep up with me?_ She looked up, and saw her cousin's black RX-7 parked out front, and instantly forgot about the cat. Since Tetsu was obviously involved in the street-racing scene, maybe he would have more information about Sakaki's new hobby. Kagura jogged up to the front door and stepped inside. She was about to call out and announce her arrival when she heard faint voices coming from the basement. It sounded like Tetsu, but he was on the phone. She crept over to the top of the stairs and listened in, ever cautious, as her last eavesdropping attempt hadn't gone so well.

"So they've signed up have they?... Interesting, so they don't have enough... They're looking? Well, what are their chances?... Yeah, you're right. With her popularity, they'll find a fourth teammate in no time. Damn, that Sakaki girl's too good. If they find another member, they'll win the tournament for sure. Alright, here's the plan. Call her up, and only her, and get her to go to the movie district...I don't care how, just get her there! There's a one way street, Tunziki Lane that runs along the outskirts and ends at the Cineplex. That's where you'll get her to go. I'll have the others set up along the way. Just get her there...Of course it'll work! It worked last time remember?... You're damn right I'm boss! Now get to work. If this all goes as planned, our friend Sakaki will be ending her racing career early..."

Kagura didn't listen anymore. From what she heard, Sakaki was in danger. And if she knew her cousin, than meant that whatever might happen could prove fatal for her friend. She knew the area well, she often saw movies there with the gang. Kagura ran outside, grabbing Tetsu's keys along the way. She pulled open the door to his RX-7 and slid in. Kagura knew how to drive, manual too. Her dad was somewhat of a car enthusiast, despite not actually owning one worth anything. The only thing her dad's car had worth noting was a manual transmission, which he had insisted she learn. He was also the reason Kagura knew so much about cars in general. Gunning the engine, she peeled off into the fading daylight, Tetsu none the wiser. She hoped.

* * *

"Come on, come on, come on! Where are you, Sakaki!" Kagura had arrived in the movie district earlier than Sakaki, and was driving up and down Tunziki lane repeatedly. Then, as she was heading back the opposite way of the Cineplex, out of the corner of her eye she saw Sakaki's S2000 pulling out of a side street onto Tunziki lane. Kagura panicked, she wasn't sure what to do. Then she remembered something she'd seen in a movie. She pulled hard on the car's emergency brake and turned the wheel at the same time. The car spun around, now facing the opposite direction. Kagura gunned the engine yet again, spinning the tires. She still had some momentum and was now traveling backwards. Suddenly, the tires caught, and the car leapt forward. Up ahead, she could see Sakaki's S2000, and even further ahead the Cineplex.

Kagura pressed the accelerator to the floor, trying to gain as much speed as possible. Up ahead, she could see Sakaki heading into the last intersection before the Cineplex. What she saw next chilled her to the bone. From Sakaki's left, she saw a massive SUV – a Hummer most likely, she couldn't tell from the distance – came full speed into the intersection, ignoring the red light. Kagura held her breath, and saw the collision happen in slow motion. Sakaki must've seen the Hummer coming, albeit too late, as she kinked to the right just before it hit. The massive Hummer ploughed through the front of Sakaki's car and kept going, almost unfazed. The S200, however, fared much worse. It spun around counter-clockwise, and somehow, whether from the speed of the spin or the force of the collision, flipped onto its roof, sliding to a stop a few hundred yards down the street. Kagura slowed down as she entered the debris, and stopped near Sakaki's wrecked car. Kagura jumped out and sprinted over to the wreck. Sakaki must've undone her seatbelt, as she was slowly crawling out of the car when Kagura arrived. Kagura kneeled beside her, and helped her crawl clear of the wreckage. She didn't seem to have any broken bones, just a few cuts and scrapes, and some glass from the windshield in her shoulder. Sakaki looked up groggily, and Kagura could see she had a fairly large cut across her brow.

"Ka...gu...ra?" That was all Sakaki could muster before she collapsed unconscious into Kagura's arms.

* * *

**Author's notes: **You should've seen something like this coming. Another cliffhanger. Well, you know I love 'em, and that means you all get to suffer!

Anyway, this is _technically _only half of the chapter. It was going to be a neat chapter, told through both Kagura's eyes first, and then someone else's eyes next (guess who...). Anyway, Kagura's part became longer than I thought, so I decided to split them up into Chapter 11a and 11b. The other point of view will be along before I leave on Saturday, I promise.

On that note, I will be leaving for a family cottage thingy on Saturday, which will last until the 19th. No computer, so no chapters till I get back. I will have paper though, so I can write. Though given the scenery, all I'll be able to think of (most likely) will be stuff for my on-the-side fic, Ragnarok: Sword of Legends, which I will call RSL from now on.

For those who wish to know, I couldn't figure out an easy way to write a one sided phone conversation. If you're confused about what I'm talking about here, then I obviously stumbled upon a way that worked. Also, I don't really like the first section, where Kagura is recounting her day. I may go back and change it around in the future (the way it's written, not the events). I will let you guys know if I do.

For those of you reading Memories Lost, I will have a chapter for that before I go too, or failing that, I will put up whatever I have done when I leave.

And another thing, I may, when I get back, start doing review replies here or in the Opening Words, depending on how I feel or, and this is more likely, whether I actually remember or not. Anyway, feel free to ask any questions!

One final note, for the street name Tunziki lane, I just made up a word that sounded Japanese. I know nothing of the Japanese language aside from what I see/hear in animes and mangas.

That's all for now, 'till next time!


	12. Chapter 11b: Sakaki's Tale

**A few opening words: **As promised, here is Chapter 11b. 

Also, to Tizoc, its an S2000 not an S 20. And it does come with a hardtop, or at least its an option.

http://images.google.ca/images?clientfirefox-a&rlsorg.mozilla:en-US:official&channels&hlen&qhardtop20S2000&ieUTF-8&oeUTF-8&um1&saN&tabwi

to the chapter...**  
**

* * *

**  
**

It had been a normal day for Sakaki. She had been dropped off down the street by Reiko, as to not be seen by friends. She had stayed over at the garage the night before, after having a long discussion about the tournament, followed by an improvised tuning session with Ezaki. The day started the same as always, with her staring out the window, and Yukari 15 minutes late. As soon as she came in the door, she pelted Tomo with a barrage of chalk. Sakaki wasn't sure whether Tomo had done anything wrong yet, but she suspected Yukari had her reasons. After a simple pop quiz, Sakaki spent the rest of the class daydreaming, letting her mind wander wherever it felt like going.

Following Yukari's English class, there was gym with Kurosawa-sensei. They were in the pool today, which pleased Sakaki. It was very hot out. She felt sorry for Kagura though, she'd had to sit the class out because of an injury on her hand. The next class was with Kimura-sensei, widely regarded as the creepy teacher, for obvious reasons. At least he kept away from Sakaki. Maybe he was scared. His class went by fast, and Sakaki went to the roof for lunch. While on the roof, she received a call from Reiko, telling her about some amateur meet later on in the night. Apparently, there was going to be a small tournament hosted by a local garage, open to amateurs only. Reiko thought it would be a good place to go searching for a fourth member for the team, as most of the racers in their league were already on a team.

The rest of the day went by without anything notable happening, and after grabbing her change of clothes from her locker, she left the school in good spirits. The walk to Reiko's garage went by fast as well. At one point, Sakaki nearly ran into someone who looked a lot like Kagura, but the woman was gone before she could say anything. Before long, she was at the door to the garage, being let in by Reiko.

"Well, any of your friends race?"

"No. None of them can even drive, for all I know."

"Ah, that's too bad. Would've been nice to meet these friends of yours. You should bring them over sometime." Sakaki thought about this for a moment, about how hyper Tomo and Kagura tended to get. They might also spread word of her new hobby, which wasn't something she wanted. Her parents were very strict, and it was hard enough keeping them from finding out with just her knowing.

"I don't know about that. They can be...difficult, at times."

"Well, whatever. Hop in your car, the meet is a fair distance away."

Sakaki nodded, and stepped into her car, behind Reiko's. Ezaki was already in his, in front of Reiko's, and waved a greeting. Ezaki's face appeared on her screen.

"Follow me girls, I know the fastest way."

With that, the three of them sped out onto the streets.

* * *

The races were being held in a massive mall parking lot, the course marked out by pylons, which made their way around the entire mall. So far, in the 2 hours that they had been there, not a single driver stood out amongst the rest. Ezaki was bored already, and had resorted to showing off his car to the amateurs, who hadn't seen a fully tuned street race car. All they had to drive were older, less modified cars. Sakaki was about to nod off in her car when her PDA buzzed with a new message. She opened it up and read it. 

_Team Hakashi,  
_

_I heard you were looking for a new member. Meet me at the Cineplex. I'm interested.  
_

_ Anonymous Hopeful_

She read it over again, and was curious as to who it could be. She yelled to Reiko.

"Hey! You get that?"

"Get what?"

"This message. Here." She handed Reiko the PDA.

"No... Odd that they would only send it to you. Maybe they didn't know my number. Anyway, you might as well go. I don't see us finding anyone here. Maybe see a movie or something while you're at it, I hear there's a few good ones out now."

Sakaki nodded a response, and shook her head to fight off the sleep. She accepted the PDA back, and put the car into gear. Blaring the horn a few times to clear the crowd, she headed out of the parking lot. In truth, there _was _a movie she wanted to see, one about a lost kitten finding its way home. The Cineplex wasn't far. Sakaki knew the area well, she saw movies there frequently. Tunziki lane was only a block away from the mall, and soon enough, she pulled up to the intersection where it met the road she was on. The light turned from red to green, and she was about to turn when a black RX-7 sped by at high speed, causing Sakaki to panic and hit the brakes, even though she was barely moving in the first place. _Wonder what the rush is. _Sakaki sighed, and continued on, heading down Tunziki lane.

Sakaki checked her rearview mirror, and noticed the same black car had done a U-turn and was now speeding back in her direction. _Maybe that's the person who sent the message. That would explain why I see no one waiting at the Cineplex._ She looked back at the road, as she entered the last intersection before the Cineplex.

Before she knew what was going on, Sakaki was blinded by the high beams of a vehicle coming from the other street. She glanced right and saw a Hummer bearing down on her, mere feet away. There was no time to avoid a collision. Sakaki pulled hard to the left, and braced herself for the hit.

The collision was like nothing she had ever felt before. The Hummer ploughed through the front of her car, the force of the hit causing Sakaki to smash her head into the steering wheel. Stars exploded into her vision, as the car was tossed out of control as if it were nothing. She held on as best she could as the car spun in circles, finally flipping onto the roof and sliding to a stop. Every part of her body hurt from the wreck. She slowly reached down and undid her seatbelt, crying out in pain as she landed on her head, the seatbelt no longer holding her upside down. Her vision seemed to be failing, getting blurry. The RX-7 that had turned around skidded to a stop and Kagura jumped out, just as Sakaki pulled herself from the wreckage. Sakaki struggled to stand, but collapsed. Kagura caught her as she fell.

"Ka...gu...ra?" That was all Sakaki could manage before she slipped out of consciousness.

* * *

Sakaki opened her eyes slowly. She was on a couch in someone's home. She made a move to sit up, but regretted it as her body ached. Her head hurt the most, and when she felt it, she found bandages wrapped around her forehead. Upon inspection, that was her only injury, aside from a few bruises and smaller cuts. 

"Ah was wonderin' when you'd wake up." The voice caught her off guard. _Wait a minute..._

" Osaka? What... how did I get here?"

"Kagura dropped you off. Had a little accident didja? Too bad about your car though, would've liked to see it in person."

"How did you know...?"

"About the racin'? I have mah sources."

As if on cue, Reiko walked in, a tray of tea in her arms.

"Oh good, you're awake. I thought you might've been seriously hurt or something." Sakaki was at a loss for words.

"What are you doing here...?" Osaka gave her a weird look.

"Whaddaya mean? She's mah cousin!"

"Cousin...? Osaka...?" This was too much.

"Wait, Ayumu, you mean _you're _the Osaka Sakaki hangs out with? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ah thought you knew. Ah well, everyone's in the know now." Sakaki was still confused though.

"Wait, wait. Hang on a moment. Reiko, you're her cousin, correct?" She nodded. "Okay, and Osaka, you've known about this since the beginning." Another nod. "So, how come neither of you told me about this?" Osaka spoke first.

"Ah figured you wanted tah keep it to yourself, or you would've told everyone." Reiko spoke next.

"And I didn't know you two were friends. Now that I think of it, I should've made the connection sooner. I guess I need to spend more time with my cousin, eh?" Sakaki sighed.

"Well, that answers that. But what about Kagura?"

"She said she was going to drop off her cousin's car back at home. She'll be back in an hour or so."

"Alright. When she gets back," Sakaki slumped back onto the couch. "I might as well tell her the whole story. She'll be pretty confused I bet."

* * *

**Author's notes: **Shorter chapter this time. But technically, it is only half the chapter, and when added to 11a it becomes a really long chapter. Whoo! 

Anyway, this'll probably be my last post until I get back. Sorry to those reading Memories Lost, I won't have the next chapter up in time. Ideas all jumbled up, couldn't form a sensible chapter. And now I have to pack, sooooo...

Its off to the cottage for me. I'll be writing while I'm there, but mostly RSL (cause of the scenery). Tune in when I get back for more cliffhanger-ey goodness!

'Till next time!


	13. Chapter 12: A Team of Four

**A few opening words: **Same as with Memories lost, I will leave you guys with a chapter before continuing with my other fic, Ragnarok: Sword of Legends. Enjoy...

* * *

Sakaki sat up on the couch, holding an icepack to her head. Osaka was on the chair to her right, Reiko sitting on the arm. Kagura had just walked in the door and joined them, and seemed very interested in an explanation now that she was awake and relatively alright.

"So Sakaki, tell me. What _have _you been up to the past week?" Sakaki took a deep breath before starting.

"Well, it all started a few days ago, after that study session we had over at Chiyo-chan's place. I took a shortcut through the park, and heard music in the distance. I didn't really like it, but I was curious as to who was playing it. I followed it and ended up in a large crowd. Well, truth be told it must've been an amateur meet or something-" She was cut off by Reiko.

"Hey, it was not amateur night! I was racing, remember? It was an all-open thing. Anyone could race." Sakaki nodded, and continued.

"Anyway, they were missing a driver, and at that time I was admiring the car he was supposed to drive, the same car that just got destroyed. That was when I met Ezaki. He's Reiko's partner and mechanic, back at her shop. He didn't really force it on me, I'll admit I was a little interested. Basically, he gave me a quick rundown and threw me into the race. I already knew how to drive, I have my license after all. The race went well, I ended up winning-" Again she was cut off by Reiko.

"I'll have to stop you there, Sakaki. It wasn't just some old race. You were a first-timer, and you beat me and two other high-ranking racers. In fact, if I remember, it was supposed to be a race between the top four racers in the area, but number four didn't show up and you took his place."

"What rank are you, Reiko-san?" Kagura asked.

"First. Anyway, she handled the car well, and during the race I even doubted she was a first-timer. She smoked the other two on the back stretch. They got psyched out or something and wrecked. I managed to pass her in the last straight, but she beat me out by less than a few feet for the win." She took a sip of her drink. "You go ahead and continue, Sakaki." Sakaki nodded her thanks.

"Anyway, after the race, I found out that the car was Reiko's, on loan to whoever would race it that night. She gave me a ride home, and Ezaki took the other car back to her garage. Reiko left me with her card, and the winnings from the night."

"Winnings? How much?" Kagura seemed a little over-enthusiastic about the question. Sakaki half-mumbled the answer and continued before Kagura could press the issue.

"250,000 yen. The next day after school, I went to her garage, and basically joined her 'team', if you will. She supplied me with the car I used the night before, the grey S2000. I was in a race on my own, and other than that, here we are." Sakaki had purposefully left out the police chase. She eyed Reiko, who caught on and subtly agreed with a nod. Kagura didn't seem to press the issue, not for long anyway.

"Wait a minute, the car you drove, you said it was a dark grey S2000 right?"

"Yes."

"With a dragon on the sides?"

"Yes."

"So, it was you who drove off the train car in that video! Awesome!" Sakaki's face turned red, but Kagura continued, getting even more excited. "But I've seen that car more than once. A few nights later, when I was jogging, you nearly ran me over in it! That was you, right?" Sakaki sheepishly nodded.

"I managed to dodge you though..."

"And did a number on the left side skirt and suspension, too." Reiko added. Kagura continued yet again.

"And that same night, there was that cop chase that was on the news, something about a pair of street races, a pink one and a grey one. That was the two of you, wasn't it?!?" Reiko answered this time.

"Hey, when did I tell you I had a pink car?"

"So it WAS you! AWESOME!" Sakaki put her face in her hands. She was glad Osaka hadn't started asking questions. Reiko looked over at Sakaki, and mouthed the words "everything". Sakaki sighed.

"Yes, Kagura, it was us. _Please _don't press the issue. Anyway, just last night there was a massive gathering of racing teams from around the world, here to sign up for the Yakuza sponsored tournament. Reiko signed us up in the hopes we could find a fourth member before our first race, which is this Saturday (A/N: It is Thursday for them now). In order to compete, you have to have a four person team."

"Alright, that makes sense. But one last thing, what about tonight? I know it has something to do with my cousin Tetsu, he's on a team or something."

"He's your COUSIN?!?" Reiko yelled out. Osaka reached up to calm her down.

"Yeah... why?" Sakaki decided to continue.

"Well, he's the leader of a team that plays dirty. The Vipers. They were kicked out of the last one because they caused the death of another racer, a friend of Reiko's too. We're in the tournament not for the winnings, but to ensure the Viper's don't win. They don't deserve it."

"Alright, alright. Let me get this straight. My cousin Tetsu, is the leader of some badass team who kills the competition instead of racing fairly. He noticed you guys were in and that you were good, and arranged to have you taken out. So now, you need a fourth driver so you can compete in the tournament and show them who's boss?"

"Well, yeah, actually. I don't remember telling you who ordered the attack on me though..."

"I figured it was him, he's a dick. Anyways, as for your fourth driver, look no further." Kagura struck a goofy pose, which caused Sakaki to chuckle.

"I didn't know you could drive, Kagra-chan."

"My dad's a car nut. I've been able to drive since I was 12."

"I never knew that. Also, you should probably stay with Reiko and I at the shop. Tetsu will probably find out you've teamed up with us. I'll be staying there too, my parents are going out of town for a while." Reiko stood up, and Kagura took a seat beside Sakaki.

"Well then, it's settled. Welcome to team Hakashi racing team! First on the table, is cars. I have one back at the shop that's ready to go. You can drive that one, Kagura. But we'll need to go shopping for one for Sakaki."

"What about the others you have?" Sakaki asked.

"They're not ready. Besides, they wouldn't suit your style anyway."

"I have a 'style'?"

"Everyone has a style kid! I can tell. Just trust me on this. Anyway, we had better get back to the garage, Ezaki's probably havin' a fit." She turned and let them out the door, Kagura with Sakaki leaning on her shoulder. As they went out the door, Kagura had one last question to ask.

"Hey, is the team name really 'Hakashi racing'? Can't you guys come up with something better?"

"What was that?"

"I mean come on! It sounds like some legitimate racing league name! This is _street _racing, we need a real name."

"Then start brainstorming, we'll discuss it when we get to the garage."

* * *

**Author's notes: **Alright, short chapter this time. It didn't really work well when I had the other stuff in after this, so I turned that into it's own chapter, which I won't release until I get another 'saga' of Ragnarok: Sword of Legends done. Anyway...

Till next time!


	14. Chapter 13: The Finer Points

**A few opening words:** Wow! Surprise update! Guess what? I have decided I will be finishing this sooner rather than later. I have let the ideas ferment in my head for long enough now, and anyway, here I go!

Enjoy!

* * *

"Well, now that we're here, how about letting me in on how this tournament works?" They had barely even walked in the door before Kagura asked the question. Sakaki ignored it and slumped onto the bottom bunk to put her aching head to rest for a while. Unable to sleep though, she listened to the conversation from there.

"Fine, Kagura, whatever keeps you from badgering me about my car. I swear, there isn't a thing else I can tell you about it..." Reiko said, exasperated. It was true; on the way, Kagura had asked just about every possible question about the car.

"Heh, well, what can I say? It's a nice car."

"Yeah, and so are the brakes, and the suspension, and the rims, and the roll cage, and the dashboard, and the turbo, and the exhaust system, and the-"

"Alright, I get the point, no more questions about your car," said a defeated Kagura.

"Thank you. Now, as you already know, the tournament is for four person teams. There are so far 64 teams registered from around the world. First, after each round, the teams who advance are all thrown into a hat and randomized. There is no way to predict whom you will race or the next round. The first round is a four-person race – one from each team. Only the top two advances there, and then we are left with 32 teams. From there it's another of the same type, leaving 16 teams remaining.

"The next round is a two team race, each with two drivers. In these races, there are five checkpoints along the course, and the second person to pass through stops the time for that section. The team with the best time overall wins. The trick is, both teams are running at the same time. The fourth round is the same as the third, and brings the team count down to four. The semi-final round uses all four racers, and is done in a relay style. First racer does a lap, second starts when they finish, and so on. Loser is eliminated.

"The last round is a little confusing. It has three parts to it. The first is a relay race, the same as the Semi-finals, to determine what happens in the second part. The second part is a three race series, with any number of racers from either team allowed to compete, from one to four. The first racer across the finish wins. The winner from part one chooses where the first race will take place, the other team chooses the second location, and the last is at the stadium. Best out of three determines who the choice in the last part.

"The final race is done at the 'Fatal Heights' as they have been called. It's a treacherous mountain road that follows the length of the mountain, with a steep drop off on one side of the road, and often no guardrails. The interesting thing about this part is that it's a two-person race – only one racer can represent their team. The catch is this: the majority of the road is one lane wide, with barely enough room to pass on either side. The cars start one after another, and the team that won the best out of three is given the front position. From there, first – or only – one down wins." Reiko sat down on a fold out chair, letting the description sink in. Even Sakaki hadn't known about the cliff race.

"That's all well and good, but what does the winner get? I mean, what's so important that you guys can't let my cousin win?" Kagura asked. It was a good question.

"The winning team gets the equivalent of 10 million American dollars, in whatever currency their country uses. That's not what we're worried about though, it's the second half of the prize. It consists of one favor, to be granted by the Yakuza. There are no limits to this, aside from asking to become head of the Yakuza itself. Whatever it is, they ill grant it, no questions asked, and should t be required, no trail leading to you." There was a foreboding tone in her voice as she spoke the last sentence.

"You mean..."

"Yeah. Anything."

* * *

About an hour or so later, Kagura and Reiko had just finished eating a meal consisting of two TV dinners. Ezaki had fallen asleep on the fold out futon on the garage floor, and Sakaki was on the bottom bunk of the bunk bed up top.

"I assume you guys have school tomorrow right?" asked Reiko.

"Yeah, but it's the last day before summer break, so nothing much is gonna be happening."

"Really? That's great, cause I was just going to ask if you guys would be able to miss the day tomorrow. We have a lot of stuff to do before the tournament."

"That could work. I can almost guarantee our teacher won't be there. Just don't wake up Sakaki 'till it's too late, though she probably won't mind anyway. What did you have planned for tomorrow?" Kagura asked.

"You're gonna stay back here with Ezaki and set up the Evo for you to use, then later on go to the stadium and practice. It's the same place the tournament will be held, for the most part. It's Yakuza owned, but they've opened it to anyone wishing to practice, you just have to reserve a time slot. We have from 4pm to midnight." Replied Reiko.

"What about you and Sakaki?"

"We're goin' car shopping," she said, in a merry tone, almost as if they were going Christmas shopping.

"I've been meaning to ask actually, what's so important about Sakaki? Won't you be out a lot of money, and why does she have to get involved?"

"Well, for one, I'm not as poor as this place makes me out to be. Like most smart people, I have a 'rainy-day' fund, so to speak. As for Sakaki, I guess you don't know now, but the girl really seems to enjoy the racing. She may not show it, but I believe she's a racer at heart, and shows it on the track. Hell, look at how good she is, with how little experience she has!

"Getting her involved in the whole Vipers fiasco was not my intention, but when they targeted her, coupled with the new addition to the prizes, there is no other choice. Her popularity has skyrocketed, and already racer's from around the city want to try to beat her instead of other high-ranking members, like myself. It was bound to happen sometime," Reiko said, with a defeated sigh.

"Anyway, you should get some rest; you've got a lot of work to do tomorrow. You can stay here the night, take the top bunk," Reiko added, as she got up and headed down to her car to sleep. Kagura climbed up onto the top bunk, careful not to wake Sakaki, and put her head against the pillow. It was not long before she fell asleep, with dreams of having yet another way to compete with her rival Sakaki.

* * *

**Author's notes: **This was going to be longer, but, well, I don't like 4-5k word chapters, so I split it up. Look forward to another chapter or two in quick succession. 


	15. Chapter 14: Car Shopping

**A few opening words: ** Guess I don't have much to say here. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Sakaki awoke to the shaking of the bunk-bed as Kagura climbed down off the top bunk. Her head only ached mildly now. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. 

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Oh, sorry for waking you. It's almost 9:30," Kagura answered.

"What? 9:30?! We're late for school!" Sakaki exclaimed, leaping to her feet. Kagura chuckled and put an arm around her shoulders, leading her to the small table where some toast was laid out along with a pot of tea.

"Calm down Sakaki, it's not a big deal to miss the day today. It's the last day before holidays; not even Yukari shows up." Sakaki sighed, and took a seat. She ate a whole piece of toast and downed a glass of tea before she even realized she was hungry.

"Hey Kagura, don't you have a swim meet today?" she asked.

"Unfortunately not for me," replied Kagura, raising her hand, which was bandaged up from her encounter with Kamineko. "I can't get this wet or the stitches won't work right, or something."

"Oh…that's too bad…" Sakaki said, as she took another bite of toast. "So, what are we going to do the whole day then?"

"Well, Reiko said she had plans with you; she's just in the back garage. I'm hangin' back here with Ezaki to set up my car."

"Did Reiko say what she planned to do?"

"No, she said it was a surprise. Ah, here she is now." Just as Kagura finished her sentence, Reiko appeared at the top of the staircase with a bright smile.

"Mornin' Sakaki! Sleep well?" she said.

"Yes, thank you."

"Well, good. Finish off your toast and come with me. We've got a busy day ahead!" Sakaki would've asked what it was she had in mind, but something told her she wouldn't get an answer. She ate her toast quickly and downed the last of her tea in no time. She fiddled with her bandage for a moment, and then followed Reiko down to her car, taking the passenger seat. Reiko waved to Kagura as she started the engine, as did Sakaki, and they were off.

* * *

Sakaki sat silent the whole car ride. She didn't know where Reiko was taking her, but the woman had a playful grin on her face the whole while. Finally, she pulled off the road and into a parking lot. 

"So Reiko, where are we?" Reiko got out of the car, jogged over to Sakaki's door, and opened it. She waved an arm towards the building whose parking lot they were in.

"We're going car shopping!"

"Car shopping? For me?"

"Yeah, kid, remember last night? You need a car that's yours and yours alone." She gave Sakaki a pat on the back.

"But, I don't have that much money…"

"Didn't I say not to worry about it? It's my treat."

"I-I couldn't possibly-"

"What did I just say? Don't pass up a good offer, girl? Just get in there and have a look around! This place is guaranteed to have the car for you; we just need to find it!"

"But how will I know which one's right?"

"Trust me, you'll know." Without any further discussion, they headed inside the building. Sakaki hadn't noticed its size from the outside; it had to be bigger than a stadium! Inside, it looked like a gigantic mall, but for cars. There was a central pathway, or rather, roadway, as that was what it was. Lining either side of the central area were all the major carmakers like Toyota, Honda, and Mitsubishi, as well as high end exotics and foreign cars, like Ferrari and Aston Martin. The whole place was a hive of activity; and every now and then a new car drove by down the road in the center, which she realized was there for the single purpose of allowing people driving their new cars home.

"What is this place?" Sakaki asked, a look of awe played across her face.

"This is the Auto Emporium! It's what it looks like: a mall for car dealerships. As I said, everything's here. Go ahead, take a look around. I won't be far behind." Sakaki didn't need to be told twice. For a moment, the whole atmosphere felt odd; she was still in high-school, and the whole thing was so unlike her. But as soon as she smelled that new car smell, those thoughts were long gone.

Sakaki decided to work counter clockwise, so she headed into the Honda dealership to her left. Most of the vehicles here were more suited to be family vehicle; they might have made good racers, but only with a lot of work. She did spot a newer model of the S2000 that she had raced, but for some reason, it didn't appeal to her. Having been able to avoid any salesmen, she headed on to the next dealership; the Acura Dealership. According to the signs, and what she overheard from a passing group of people, Acura was owned by Honda, and thus it would have the same vehicles. The only one that stood out was a dark red NSX sitting on a display stand out front. It was expensive; and looked like it was a race car, but it too didn't appeal to Sakaki.

Sakaki took a glance in the next dealership, Toyota, but didn't bother going in. There was an abundance of salespeople, and not a single car that looked like it could have been the one. This was the same with Mitsubishi; though they did have some powerful looking cars, again none appealed to her. Sakaki moved on to the next one, Nissan. In the center of this dealership, there was a large crowd of people gathered around a podium. Sakaki made her way to the edge of the group and, thanks to her height, was able to see the car on display. It looked like one of the cars she'd seen on the way in, a Skyline, but it was also different. The sign named it the Nissan GTR, a prototype to be released in a year or two.

Sakaki took a quick look around the Nissan dealership. The company had nice cars, and they were all very competent as well, according to a salesman she had a brief chat with. She even saw a Fairlady Z, like Reiko's but stock of course. Finding nothing that stood out here, she moved on once again.

This was the pattern as she moved through Suzuki, Ford, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and nearly all the other dealerships, yet still finding no car that stood out in particular. Reiko trailed behind as she had said, minding her own business as she had said. Sakaki was almost beginning to lose hope, maybe she'd never find the right car for her! Reiko caught her gaze and gave a quick thumbs-up. This spurred Sakaki on, and she headed into the next dealership; Lamborghini. All the vehicles here were incredibly expensive, and also very high performance as well. While she did like the looks of them, they seemed a little too extravagant for her, and much to an eager salesman's dismay, she walked out empty handed.

Then one car caught her eye. It wasn't so much the model itself, but the general shape of the car, sitting out front a dealership down the row a bit. Sakaki skipped over the next two and headed over to the car. It was a Porsche, a sturdy, high performance German car. This particular model was a Boxter, and was also the cheapest. This did not deter her however, and she headed into the dealership. There weren't many people here, due to the price of the cars, and as such, she could feel the many eyes of the salespeople all hoping for a big sale. Sakaki ignored them however; fully engrossed in the vehicles.

Sakaki walked around slowly, circling each model no less than three times. The body style stood out; it was different than the other autos in the building. These had a distinctive shape to them, one you would be able to pick out from a distance. Sakaki took her eyes off the 911 Turbo she was looking at, and took a look around the dealership. That was when one car caught her eye; one that stood out, in her eye, more than the others. Sakaki made a beeline for it; and out of the corner of her eye, she saw an eager salesman do the same.

The car was a Porsche Cayman, a newer edition to the line of Porsches. It was smaller than the others, and the body more refined. The car was beautiful, and Sakaki fell in love with it, the curves, the size, the shape; everything. The color wasn't that bad either; a black with dark grey stripes, which didn't matter, because she was sure Reiko would give it a custom paintjob before long. But that didn't matter right now; all that did was that this was the one. This car was the one for her.

"I see you've taken a liking to the new Cayman here. Actually, this is one of the special edition models; the Porsche Cayman S Design 1. It comes with larger rear wheels, lighter rims, and a more streamlined display and interior. If you would like to know more about the car then just ask…" The salesman stood back a moment, waiting for an answer. Sakaki was still too engrossed in the vehicle itself, and simply waved him off. He seemed to take this as a yes, and continued describing the car. It was probably for the best; she would probably need to know the technical specifications eventually.

"Yes, the Cayman S is a beautiful vehicle, packing 295bhp and capable of delivering 250lb.-ft of torque to the road. It comes with a 6 speed manual transmission, and a…" Sakaki ignored whatever else he had to say as she peered through the car's tinted windows. She wasn't sure how long she was there, but when she looked back up, the salesman was nowhere to be seen. Sakaki looked around, wondering where he went. Out of nowhere, a hand tapped her shoulder. Sakaki spun around, and was greeted with a cheery looking Reiko, dangling a set of keys in one hand.

"Reiko? Wha-" Before Sakaki could say anything, Reiko put a finger on her lips, shushing her, also causing her to blush slightly. Reiko used the keys to unlock the driver's side door, which she swung open with a smile. She held it open and motioned for Sakaki to get in. Sakaki slid inside and onto the seat. Reiko took her hand, dropped the keys in it, and closed her fingers around them, before closing the door.

Sakaki put the keys in the ignition, but just left them there for now. She looked around the interior; which was all leather. It was mostly black and grey, like the paintjob. The seats were comfortable, yet also practical, with the sides coming out enough to keep you in place when making hard turns. The dashboard was aesthetically pleasing too, but it had all the essentials, and the center console was designed to flow with the rest of the interior. Satisfied, Sakaki turned the keys in the ignition, and the car came to life.

The engine sound wasn't loud inside, no more than a hum in the background, but that was at idle. Sakaki tested the gas a few times, surprised at how responsive the engine was to her commands. The needle on the RPM meter rose and fell almost in tune with her foot, the tone of the engine doing the same. She could have sat there all day revving the engine; she just loved the feel of it, the sound it made, a gentle hum that would turn into a powerful roar with a quick thrust of her foot.

Reiko opened the passenger side door and stepped in. She looked pleased to see that Sakaki was enjoying herself.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

"I… it's… I love it. This car is the one." Sakaki felt almost embarrassed saying this.

"That's great, cause its yours now!" Sakaki whipped her head around to Reiko, with a look on her face that made Reiko laugh. Sakaki noticed the price-tag on the sign beside the car. It was over 8 million yen!

"I can't afford this! It's too-" Reiko shushed her with a single finger again.

"What did I say earlier? My treat. When someone gives you a car, you don't question their motives, you just take it! Now take us out to the parking lot so I can get my car." Sakaki heeded her advice; there would be no more questions out of this girl. She shifted into first, and took them out onto the street that ran down the middle of the Auto Emporium.

* * *

After an hour and a half of driving in no general direction, Reiko and Sakaki found themselves at Take's garage. He had said to bring him a car once Sakaki had her own, and they were about to take him up on the offer. Three quick knocks on the side door by Reiko, and the garage door opened up. Sakaki drove the Cayman inside, and the door closed behind her, after Reiko stepped inside as well. Taki emerged from a back room just as Sakaki shut the car off.

"So you've finally got a ride to call your own eh?" Taki circled the car, inspecting each and every detail. He reached inside and pulled the hood release. After inspecting the engine, which was located at the rear of the car, he stepped back, nodding approvingly.

"Three days. Give me three days, and this baby will be able to beat damn near anything."

* * *

**Author's notes:** I don't care what anyone thinks, the Cayman is the perfect car for Sakaki. If you don't agree, well, too bad. And if you don't know what it looks like, search 'Porsche Cayman S Design Edition 1' on Google. 

Anyway, there you have it. Sakaki has her own car. Coming up in the next chapter: Kagura's first day at the track!


	16. Chapter 15:  Mystery Man

**A few opening words:** Sorry for taking so long with this. My Xbox 360 that was in for repairs just got back, so I've been addicted to Halo 3 and Ace Combat 6 for a while. Now I'm not, so hurray for you.

Well, here's what happened while Sakaki was out. For the record, their trip lasted until about 5 o'clock, when they dropped the Cayman off at Take's.

Enjoy!

* * *

Kagura waved to Sakaki as she and Reiko drove out the garage, the door sliding closed behind the pink vehicle. Sighing, she sat down to finish off what was left of the tea and toast; of which there wasn't much. Once finished, she dumped the plate and cup in the sink, and headed for the back room, where Ezaki was currently tweaking the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII FQ400, that was to be hers, on the dyno. As she made her way across the floor to the smaller garage bay in the back of the shop, she could hear the high revving of the Lancer through the closed door. She assumed Ezaki closed it so she and Sakaki could sleep longer, though Kagura had woken up long before Sakaki had. 

Kagura turned the knob on the door beside the garage door, and edged her way inside. The car had just been shut off, and Ezaki was on one of those rolling platforms under the car, adjusting its transmission for the best power and torque. This was an opportunity she couldn't miss. She crept slowly around the car, to where Ezaki's feet were. Reaching down, she quickly grabbed hold of both and pulled, sending him sliding across the floor, spinning wildly on the wheeled platform...

"Holy hell! Augh!" Kagura had a good laugh. "Kagura? Who the hell?" Ezaki sat up, shaking the dizziness from his head.

"Hehe, that's me. Sorry about that; I couldn't resist. Anyway, I don't think we've been introduced; I'm Kagura Oaru," she said, offering Ezaki a hand. He took it, and she pulled him to his feet. She must've surprised him with her strength, because he lost his balance and nearly fell back over.

"Well, I'm Ezaki, resident mechanic around here. Nice to meet you."

"No last name?"

"Oh, Ezaki is my full name, actually. It's Eza Ki. Don't ask, but everyone just calls me Ezaki. It's easier and it makes sense." Kagura chuckled.

"Well, that's good enough; Ezaki it is. So, is this my car then?" she asked, pointing to the sleek orange Lancer.

"Yeah, that's it alright. I just finished re-adjusting the transmission; it was set up for drag for some reason. It's a-" Kagura cut him off before he could finish.

"A Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII FQ400, I know. Nice paintjob too," Kagura said, admiring the metallic orange car. It had thick blue modern-style dashed stripes down the sides with silver outlines, and another modern pattern on the hood, in the same scheme. It was a two-door, and had large black rims, with many spokes. The body-kit was well done, it stuck to the car's body style and accentuated it nicely, as did the medium sized wing on the back.

"You know cars?" he asked.

"Yeah, I know my share. Dad's a car nut; I've been able to drive since I was 12."

"You drive stick?"

"Yeah."

"Great; that'll make my job easier. Hop in the car and let's get it out of here. We have the track booked from 4:00 on, but before that it's free use, so we can still go." Kagura climbed in, and slowly backed the Evo off the dyno, and right out onto the street. She waited for Ezaki to pull out, before following him down the street. There wasn't much traffic out at this time of the day, so they were able to go a little faster than the posted speeds, and halve the time it would have taken to get to the stadium.

Upon arriving, Ezaki led Kagura to the vehicle entrance, around the side, where they were let in by a pair of gun-toting Yakuza. The two were surprised to see the place was relatively empty. Aside from the Yakuza personnel, who were very intimidating, there was only evidence of one other person here, or a team, as one of the pit garages was taken up. They couldn't see the car on the track though; it was already out of the stadium, about halfway around the track. They came to a stop outside one of the pit garages. Ezaki got out and wandered in to check the place out, whereas Kagura went over to the track and leaned on the barrier between it and pit road.

Just then, she saw the car come around the bend before the final straightaway. Kagura could hear the high revs the car was pulling, but couldn't identify it yet, other than being Japanese. It sounded like one car she knew of, but the shape was all wrong. It whipped by, and she finally saw what it was. It was an older car, a Nissan 300ZX. She didn't have time to ascertain anything else, because the car was traveling at least double freeway speeds. However, to her surprise, the car's brake lights came on, and it came to a stop in an impressively short distance. It then reversed until it was stopped right in front of Kagura.

The car was low to the ground, probably at least a foot and a half shorter than Kagura, and the windows were tinted so she couldn't see inside. The car was a dark chameleon color, mostly black, with dark red tint, making the car look almost demonic. There were no other paint features. The car itself was heavily modified, the body almost completely different from what an original 300ZX looked like. It had a streamlined wide-body kit on, and a large spoiler that didn't quite come up higher than the roof. The rims were black, so she couldn't see the style of the rims.

Like something out of a movie, the window rolled down to reveal the driver; or at least, part of him. Since the car was so low, and the interior dimly lit, Kagura could only see his shoulders and chin. From what she could see, it was a man, who wore a leather jacket with a small fluffy collar. His chin didn't stand out all that much, and didn't make him out to be a macho man or anything.

"You're new, aren't you?" said the man. His voice wasn't deep or high-pitched; it was right in the middle, yet somehow, it commanded an air of authority, like a police officer's did, but more-so.

"Uh, yeah, I am, " she answered.

"Is that your car?" he asked, nudging his hand towards the orange Lancer parked behind her.

"That's it alright." Kagura replied. The man looked forward for a moment, then at the car, and back to Kagura. She could see a small grin form on what little she saw of his mouth.

"Show me what you've got, kid." Kagura wasn't sure why, but the way he issued the challenge compelled her to accept. It was something about his tone of voice; it was commanding, and held experience, yet it also had a bit of an undertone that said he meant well, and was only looking for some fun. Without a second thought, Kagura flashed a smile and darted over to the Lancer. It was facing the wrong direction, but luckily the pit road was two lanes wide. She jumped in, started the car, and spun it around in a half donut, before speeding towards the exit of pit lane as fast as the car would take her. She saw the mysterious racer on the track easily keeping pace with her as she accelerated.

Upon exiting pit lane, Kagura saw the other racer back off enough to let her by, then get into a position right behind her. Up ahead, she saw the first turn, a right sweeper, so she let off the gas a little in anticipation for the turn. Almost the instant her foot left the gas, the 300ZX sped by her on the right, and flew into the turn, the car leaning heavily on the left side, yet still keeping grip. His voice came on through the car's communication system, yet the LCD screen did not come on.

"You have to be more aggressive. You can take turns a lot faster than you think. The best way to learn the limits of you and your car is to go all out and if you spin, then drive a little slower. Learn the limits, and you'll know when you reach them" Kagura followed him around the turn, speeding up as she went. After the turn there was another straightaway, and the other driver slowed down to let her pass again, before doing as he did before.

The next section, from what she could see involved a quick left to right chicane, followed by a sharp right turn up a small hill, and a left at the top. Having seen how professional racers took chicanes, Kagura went into it full speed, waiting until the last moment to slam on the brakes to slow down for the sharper turn. She pulled hard on the steering wheel, and the car swung around the turn faster than she would've thought possible, pinning her to the side of her seat. She didn't falter though, and straightened the car out, readying it for the next turn, which she took much the same way she did the first. Another short straight followed this, and the man's voice came on again.

"That was better; though you still could've taken it faster. That car is all-wheel drive; all you have to worry about is under-steer. Follow me through this next section; three hairpins. Try power-sliding; it's not always a good idea, but it works wonders in this section." Even though Kagura had the accelerator to the floor, shifting up at the right time, the 300ZX still easily pulled ahead of her, as if it were at half power the whole time. Kagura slotted in behind him and followed him into the section.

There were three hairpins, left, right, then left again. From the looks of it, all of them were slightly banked. The 300ZX went wide, then the tires started smoking as it slid around the turn, not sideways, but at an angle. Kagura followed normally, as he did this through the other two hairpins as well.

"Go wide, and as you enter the turn, pull the E-brake just enough to get your car into the slide, then it will basically carry you through the turn. The last small section is different; is two 180 degree turns, but they're connected just after the apex, cutting off the turn a bit. See if you can make it by me here; it's usually where racers make their last attempt at a win." Kagura did as she was told, and accelerated until she was right on his bumper. She followed him closely into the first turn, keeping on his bumper. As they came around the apex, Kagura drifted wide and nudged her nose into the inside of the next turn, forcing the 300ZX to let her in, or cause an accident. With the inside secured, Kagura took the corner as fast as she could, but upon exiting onto the final straight, she saw that not only had the 300ZX kept up with her on the outside, he had held his position as well, remaining a few feet in front of her. As they accelerated down the track towards the 'finish', the 300ZX pulled away from her; slowly at first, but he had a good 60 feet on her when they reached the line. The car was obviously much better, performance-wise, than her Lancer.

Kagura saw Ezaki watching her from the pits and as she reached the end, where the exit was, she pulled a u-turn and headed in, as the other driver had done. She watched ahead as the 300ZX turned into one of the garages, and continued on through, leaving the stadium. A pair of Yakuza wheeled the tools and equipment back to wherever they were stored. As she pulled to a stop in her own garage with Ezaki, a message popped up on her LCD screen. The text listed a number, and said to listen to the voice message, which she did.

"You're pretty good for a newcomer." Kagura instantly recognized the voice as that of the man she just ran against. "With a little work here and there, you'll be able to contend with the best. The number you see is my PDA's. I'd like to race again sometime, but for real. Get better, and ht me up. Before that though, I expect I'll be seeing you in the tournament. Good luck." That was where the message ended. _I wonder who he was…_ she thought. _Well, whoever he is, I don't back down to challenges._ _Until next time, mystery man._ Thinking again for a moment, she came to a realization. _'Mystery man'? God I'm lame…_

"Hey Kagura! Nice driving out there!" Ezaki approached the car as she got out.

"Thanks, though according to the other guy I have a lot to learn."

"Well, duh, when compared to him," replied Ezaki, with a sarcastic tone.

"Huh? What's that mean?"

"You mean you don't know who that was?" Kagura simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Wow. He's only the best racer in the _world_, that's all. Or at least, that's what the rumor is. No one knows what his name is; he goes by the alias Tarquin. He leads a team called Aquila. He tours the world, most of the time without his team, kicking ass wherever he goes. Rumor has it he races for fun, and in each time he wins a tournament, he gives the prize to the second place team." Ezaki was getting really excited about this.

"Sounds cool. Have you ever met him?"

"Hell no, that's why I'm so excited! He rarely talks to anyone, side from the officials! What did he say?"

"Oh, not much. Mostly that I need to practice. So, about that practicing…?"

"Right. Let's get started then." Kagura climbed back into her car and started the motor. Once Ezaki headed out onto the track, she followed. Her career in the world of street racing was beginning to take flight.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Alright I know it just kinda cuts off there, but nothing much happens in the next 5 hours or so anyway. I'll give you a brief rundown. They drive a bunch of laps around the track. They have fun. Kagura learns some stuff. The end. There, wasn't that fun? 

Anyway, I promise the next chapter will be done faster.

Till next time!


	17. Chapter 16: Another First

"Yo! Sakaki!" Kagura stood up from under the hood of her Lancer. She had been working on learning it with Ezaki, when Sakaki and Reiko arrived in the pit area. They had come straight there after dropping off Sakaki's new car. "Did you find one?"

"Yeah," Reiko replied, stepping out of her 350Z. "You friend has expensive taste.

"You said to pick any one…" Sakaki muttered, stepping out of the passenger side.

"Heh, I know. That Porsche… I have a feeling you're going to become famous in it. Well, more famous."

"A Porsche?!" Kagura dropped whatever tools she was holding to dash over to Reiko and Sakaki. "You bought her a Porsche?! That's insane! And totally not fair…"

"Calm down, Kagura. If it makes you feel any better, right now, your Lancer would blow it out of the water. A friend of mine, Take, is working on it. Won't be done 'till Monday. Which means, you might be doing some races in the tournament the next few days," Reiko replied, with a grin.

"Awesome!" Kagura ran back to Ezaki. "Ezaki! I get to race this weekend!" He looked up.

"Who else? _Reiko_? Hah. She wouldn't stand a chance," he replied, chuckling. However, he didn't know Reiko was standing right behind him. She reached over, and removed the bar that held up the hood. The hood promptly fell on Ezaki's head.

"OW! Damnit!" Ezaki lifted the hood enough so he could climb out. "Jeez… that coulda really hurt me…" he said, closing the hood.

"You're head's harder than you think. You're fine," Reiko replied, patting him on the back.

"So, what now?" Kagura asked.

"Well, how many laps did you do of the course?"

"At least twenty."

"Then we get food. You're racing tomorrow."

Kagura could barely hold in her excitement as the crew all piled in their respective cars to go to a close by restaurant.

-----

"Damn… check out the line-up…" Kagura said, as they stepped out of their cars in the garage allotted for team Hakashi. Or rather, Hakashi Racing Team, coined by Kagura as HRT.

"Whoa. Looks like you're gonna have a tough first race, Kagura. And you're up in the first race as well." Sure enough, out on the track, there were three cars waiting on the grid, all representing a different team. Kagura noted a Honda S2000, much like Sakaki's previous car except this one was green, a purple Honda Civic which looked a lot beefier than one would expect from such a car, and a dark blue NSX.

"You're racing with T.L., so watch yourself in the turns. He likes to drive dirty when the officials aren't looking. That means the back stretches too. And watch out for the Civic. It's got a lot more power under that hood than a lot of the cars here," Reiko warned as Kagura stepped into her Lancer. "Good luck. Do us proud."

Kagura gave her best wildcat grin, almost like Tomo herself. "Who do you think I am? I'll bring home the gold!" she said, starting the motor. After revving it twice, she guided the vehicle out of pit lane, and onto the grid. The cars were lined up four abreast, and she was on the far left side.

Kagura looked left and right once she had taken her place on the grid. To her right was the Civic, then the NSX, and lastly the S2000. They were all revving their engines, and to her surprise, the Civic's sounded a hell of a lot louder than everything else. And that scared her.

"Good luck Kagura! _You can do it!" _Kagura looked out her window, to see Reiko, Ezaki, and Sakaki in the grand stands not far up. Somehow, Reiko's voice had managed to rise above the noise of the Civic's monstrous engine. However, it managed to up her spirits enough, and give her confidence. She gripped the wheel tightly, and added her own engine to the racket.

Above the speedway, on the bottom of a walkway that crossed the track about a dozen feet up was a set of lights, four yellow ones followed by a green one. Suddenly, all the people that had been on the track scrambled over the barriers, leaving the track in a hurry. Then, the first yellow light began flashing. Kagura knew the race was going to start. She let the engine fall to its base revs, and rested a hand on the shifter. The light stopped flashing, and was then joined by the second, and then the third.

Kagura depressed the clutch, and revved the engine high. The fourth light lit up, and just as the green light lit up, she shifted into first, and shot out of the grid; a perfect start. She felt a rush of adrenaline as she shifted to second, third, then fourth. The orange Lancer rocketed down the opening straightaway, and as she shifted into fifth, Kagura chanced a look to the right. To her surprise, the purple Honda Civic had not only kept up with her, but it was now almost three car-lengths ahead, and pulling away.

"Shit…" Kagura muttered. There was obviously no way her Lancer would keep up in the straights. However, once the Civic entered the first turn, the right sweeper, she noticed that she was beginning to gain on the car. It seemed that her Lancer could take corners faster, and also had better acceleration, due to the four wheel drive setup.

Kagura was almost on the Civic's bumper coming out of the long, shallow curve, when it started to pull away again on the next straightaway. The other two cars were a few lengths behind, and at the moment, she didn't need to worry about them. Kagura instead concentrated on the Civic in front of her as it pulled away again, only to slam on the brakes as it entered the chicane. Kagura only had to tap hers a little as she swerved in behind the car, but she was forced to slam on the brakes hard when she realized the Civic left no room for her to pass.

Then came another right sweeper, and Kagura was right on the Civic's bumper. She saw him jink to the inside a touch, and took that opportunity to drift wide, in an attempt to pass. She made it alongside of the Civic, but the turn had already ended, and she was forced to pull back into the faster car's slipstream. Besides, there were two more laps after this one anyway.

Up ahead, Kagura saw the Civic slow for the first hairpin, and she gained almost all the ground lost on it. With a touch of the E-brake, Kagura whipped around the corner. Now on the Civic's bumper again going into the second pair of hairpins, she prepared for the next section. Kagura recalled the words of that mysterious racer the day before, and sailed through the corners like it was a daily occurrence for her. Much to her surprise, she had passed the Civic on the inside as well, and was now in first heading back down past the start line.

Sure enough, however, the Civic passed her on the straightaway, which lead to the second lap starting the same way as the first. And so it would be the same for the rest of the lap as well, almost to a T. Kagura was unable to pass on all but the last hairpin, yet it was not enough to hold the lead. Heading into the first sweeper on the third lap however, she noticed something in her rearview mirror, and a moment later, the dark blue NSX driven by T.L. soared by, blue flames jetting from the exhaust as he used his nitrous. Drawing alongside the Civic, he swerved towards it, but stopped an inch from connecting.

However, that was enough for the driver of the Civic. In the act of swerving to avoid the NSX, his left tires went off the road into the grass, which caused the car to be pulled off the course. He tried to swerve back on, but ended up putting himself into a spin, as Kagura watched in her rearview mirror. The S2000, who had trailed behind the whole time, managed to just barely dodge the spinning Civic, and continued on, staying back as it had the whole race.

Kagura now followed the NSX through the chicane, and down the straight to the hairpins. She tried passing twice, but the NSX managed to stay just ahead of her both times. Again, in the first left hairpin, T.L. managed to close off any chance of passing, almost causing Kagura to collide with his rear quarter—panel as well. However, Kagura had a plan.

She waited for the right moment, and as the NSX entered the second hairpin, Kagura drifted wide, sliding sideways around the outside of the banked curve. She held the drift longer than usual, sliding in beside the NSX, which had since straightened out. For a moment, she was given a glimpse of T/L/'s surprised expression, before she threw the Lancer the other direction, the tail end swinging like a pendulum to the right, almost pulling the car around the corner. T.L. was forced to stay wide, or else get involved in a wreck. Kagura added a brief shot of NOS when accelerating to ensure her victory, and sure enough, she passed the finish line first, with the dark blue NSX trailing a few car-lengths behind.

Kagura wasted no time guiding the humming Lancer into pit lane, and to the Team Hakashi garage. Sakaki, Ezaki, and Reiko were already there waiting, the latter two smiling widely. There was even a hint of a smile on Sakaki's visage. Kagura shut off the car, and swung the door open. Then, she pumped a fist in the air, and embraced Ezaki in a tight hug.

"Ezaki! That car kicks _ass! _I _love_ you!" she said, before releasing him a moment later. He was blushing like a madman, as to be expected. Reiko patted Kagura on the shoulder.

"Great race, kid! Even though you only needed second, that was some driving. It seems Sakaki's not the only prodigy around here. Should be interesting once we get the two of you on the track together." She smiled. "Good job."

"Thanks. Sakaki! We _have_ to race sometime! That was… wow! What a rush! I mean, is this what you felt those times when you raced, and won?" Then a thought came to her mind. "Or maybe when you were involved in the cop chase! What did that feel like?"

Sakaki backed off a few steps as Kagura advanced with her questions. "Umm… it was nothing…" she said. "I just… acted on instinct. It was... rather terrifying actually…" While Kagura continued pestering Sakaki, Reiko stepped up beside Ezaki, leaning in close so she could talk into his ear.

"And to think; you doubted them…"

"Hey, come on. I had every reason to."

"I bet you're pretty happy Kagura joined, huh?" Reiko asked, nudging Ezaki in the side.

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?" he replied, blushing again.

"Just watch yourself. She's still in school, remember that." Reiko tweaked his ear, and stepped forward, raising her voice above Kagura. "There's no more races today, since the first round is always the largest. In light of this, lunch is on me. We're goin' to an all you can eat buffet!"

A round of cheers followed this, all in agreement.

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**Author's notes: **Alright, this was too far in the making.

Anyway, it's good to finally have time to write again! Expect more frequent updates soon. Maybe not daily or bi-daily, but more than one a month.

Read and review, as always!


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